Pierrot with a Rose

Currently not on view

Pierrot with a Rose

c. 1936

Georges Rouault (French, 1871–1958)

The world of the traveling carnival and pantomime theater is a subject with deep roots in Georges Rouault’s art. He saw Pierrot, the innocent, heartsick clown, as a universal symbol of human pathos. This perennial outsider and misfit also embodied a rejection of modern society’s materialistic values. Rouault was active in the early-twentieth-century Catholic revival in French intellectual life and created a deeply religious art based on his convictions. In this image he made the connection explicit by portraying Pierrot with a red rose, a traditional symbol of Christ's blood. The work’s deep, vibrant tones are typical of Rouault’s style. The tapestry-like decorative border signals this work’s original purpose; Rouault made Pierrot with a Rose as a full-scale model for a tapestry in silk and wool that was executed by professional weavers in 1936.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Pierrot with a Rose

Date:

c. 1936

Artist:

Georges Rouault (French, 1871–1958)

Medium:

Oil on paper on linen

Dimensions:

36 1/2 × 24 5/16 inches (92.7 × 61.8 cm) Framed: 45 1/4 × 33 1/4 × 4 inches (114.9 × 84.5 × 10.2 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

The Samuel S. White 3rd and Vera White Collection, 1967

Accession Number:

1967-30-76

Geography:

Made in France, Europe

Provenance

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Currently not on view