Pierrot

Georges Rouault’s Pierrot is a larger-than-life portrait of a clown. The deep-set eyes in the elongated face stare out blankly, lending the work a sombre character. For Rouault, the clown is a metaphor for humanity, which – like Christ – is captured within a tragic fate of suffering. As a fervent supporter of the Catholic movement Renouveau Catholique, Rouault often employed religious subjects in his work. Rouault’s work is hard to place within a specific genre, but is considered as part of Fauvism. He did not paint from nature, but based his works on his own inner world. In his later work, which includes this piece, Rouault used thick, black outlines, which are reminiscent of the stained-glass windows he restored as an apprentice in a glass workshop.