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Les Etoiles d'un Cirque Etrange
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Abstract
This dynamic and surreal piece by Tennessee Williams features two yellow figures set against a bold red background. The piece was made using oil paint and pencil. On the left, the upper body of one figure hangs upside down, creating an unsettling and disorienting effect. To the right, a nude yellow figure with its back to the viewer dominates the composition, their limbs stretched across the canvas from the lower left to the upper right. Radiating from the figures head and limbs are bursts of yellow and orange gestural brushstrokes, adding an energetic sense of motion. Below the central figure, the French title "Les Etoiles d'un Cirque etrange (The Stars of a Strange Circus) hints at the bizarre and otherworldly nature of the scene. The painting is signed"T.W." in the bottom right corner. On the back, Williams" signature appears in red, alongside a"Pyramid" tag marking the piece as Lot No. 108C, Piece 3. A paper tag attached to the hanging wire reads"TL6.1994.1 / Robert Hines - Jack Fricks," further linking the work to its provenance.
Description
This artwork was photographed and cataloged by Echo O'Connor (class of 2025) during the fall of 2024. This painting was acquired by Rhodes College from Kenneth Holditch (1933-2022) during the summer of 2024. Holditch graduated from Southwestern at Memphis with the class of 1955, and worked as a Tennessee Williams scholar in his role on the faculty at the University of New Orleans.