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Harlequin

Lucien Clergue

Artwork Details

Harlequin
1955; printed 2006
Lucien Clergue
gelatin silver print on paper
9 1/2 in x 11 3/8 in (24.13 cm x 28.89 cm);12 in x 16 in (30.48 cm x 40.64 cm)
Gift of Selma and Gerald Lotenberg
2011/2.161

Description

Subject Matter:

Clergue's series Les Saltimbanques (1955) was inspired by Alain Fournier’s Le Grand Meaulnes and Picasso’s Rose Period. This was one of Clergue's earliest series, in which he created the costumes and dressed children as harlequins, photographing them among the ruins of Arles in the aftermath of bombings from World War II. 

Physical Description:

This portrait of a young boy in a harlequin costume shows him looking into the camera lens. He stands in the ruins of Arles, arms akimbo, balancing on the ruins of the foundation of a building. 

Usage Rights:

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