Circus (Toy Box)

1918

At the time critics did not understand Beer’s cubism/expressionism and commenting the group exhibition at Liljewalchs in 1919, Ragnar Hoppe, who were to become a friend of the artist ten years later, attacked : “Painting a canvas in an impressionist manner and then giving angles to its forms with a ruler, that’s not cubism, either it is a misunderstanding or it is humbug, in either case it is meaningless. But Beer is not even consistent in treating such form. That we may remark in the big Circus canvas, where some figures in the background have nothing to do with those in the foreground.” Dick Beer immediately responded: “What you in your article call the Circus canvas is entitled Toy Box in the catalogue. The logic of this painting is only apparent. And why should a painting be logical ? Think of Puvis de Chavannes’ large fresco in Lyon’s town hall. In this composition, the artist takes the liberty to neglect intrinsic values and overall consequence. Some of the 8-9 figures are lighter than the air, that was meant naturally. My Toy Box was painted with the idea of catching a certain movement. The fact that I represent persons in a naturalist way on the canvas is rather cute I think, it does not perturb the total view. Even Picasso does so.”