Mrs Olga Frere, Brussels
Private Collection, New York
André Ravsen Fine Art, Connecticut
Acquired from the above by the late owners in 1998

Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Exposition Van Dongen, 1913

Louis Chaumeil, Van Dongen, L'homme et l'artiste: La vie et l'œuvre, Geneva, 1967, fig. 43, illustrated

The canvas is not lined and there are no signs of retouching visible under UV light. There is a pinhead-sized spot of paint loss to the left of the figure's head (visible in the catalogue illustration). Apart from some light stable craquelure to the upper centre, some paint shrinkage along the lower edge and a slight stretcher mark running horizontal to the centre, this work is in good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate although stronger and deeper in the original.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The exoticism and spectacle of the circus and the music hall were to provide the perfect foil for Van Dongen, whose exuberant palette and stylised figures suited this bohemian milieu. Together with Picasso, who also had studios at the Bateaux Lavoir, he often visited the Médrano circus, and around this time clowns, dancers and acrobats become his main subjects. This leaping nude figure owes something to Matisse's La Danse, and the ﷽combination of intense warm colors against the cool blue-green background and the exuberence of the dancing figure conveys an impression of emotional liberation. The dancers in Van Dongen's work exude a primitive vitality and freedom, free from the usual constraints imposed by bourgeois society.