Robert Riggs, Trained Horse Act

An avid circusgoer from a young age, Robert Riggs began making lithographs of the performances in 1933. When Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus traveled to Philadelphia, the artist went twice a day to sketch members of the troupe onstage and off, befriending many of them. His prints portray recognizable circus characters.

While Riggs is best known for his lithographs of the circus, he also produced watercolors. In this movement-driven painting, two men pay little attention to the action in the ring, ignoring two equestrians striding forward on their horse, and the clown and entertainer on the ground.