The acrobat Miss La La caused a sensation when she performed at
the Cirque Fernando in Paris. Here she is shown suspended from
the rafters of the circus dome by a rope clenched between her
teeth. Degas sought out such striking modern subjects,
concentrating on figures in arresting poses. In January 1879 he
make a series of drawings at the Cirque Fernando including a
pastel study of Miss La La (London, Tate Gallery), which
culminated in this painting. We view the spectacle as the
audience would have done, gazing up at the daring feat taking
place above. The painting was exhibited at the fourth
Impressionist exhibition held in April 1879 and was on loan to
the exhibition 'Black Victorians: Black People in British Art
1800-1900' at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery from January
to April 2006.