The Circus

Harry C. Rubincam

National Gallery of Art

This is a grayscale photograph of an acrobat in mid-leap above a white horse inside a circus tent. The horse stands inside a ring, appearing to walk around the edge. It is turned slightly to the right, its head down. The acrobat floats above the horse, her arms extended out to either side and her legs bent. She is wearing a costume that looks like a dress with puffed sleeves and a tutu-like skirt. On the left, a man stands on the edge of the ring next to the horse, looking towards the acrobat. The man is wearing a black jacket and black trousers. Both the acrobat and the man are blurred, and we can't see their facial features. Behind the performance, a similarly blurred audience can be seen sitting in rows, looking towards the performance. Above and behind them are the walls of the tent, which include ropes and a small decorative banner. Light seems to filter in through the side of the tent.