In The Circus (Seurat), how is the Background discussed?
The painting was Seurat's third major work treating the theme of the circus, after his Parade (Circus sideshow) of 1887-88 and Le Chahut of 1889–90. It depicts a female performer standing on a horse at the Circus Fernando (renamed the Circus Médrano in 1890, after its most famous clown).  The Circus Médrano was located at the corner of the Rue des Martyrs and the Boulevard de Rochechouart, close to Seurat's studio.  It was a popular entertainment in Paris, depicted in the 1880s by other artists such as Renoir (for example,  Acrobats at the Cirque Fernando (Francisca and Angelina Wartenberg)), Degas (for example, Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando) and Toulouse-Lautrec (for example, Equestrienne (At the Circus Fernando)).
Seurat makes use of Charles Henry's theories on the emotional and symbolic meaning of lines and colours, and the works of Chevreul and Ogden Rood on complementary colours.  He was also influenced by Japanese prints, and the graphic works of Jules Chéret.  The work is similar to chromolithograph Au cirque by Karl Gampenrieder, but it is not clear if Seurat had seen it.
Chevreul Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando Equestrienne (At the Circus Fernando) Degas Le Chahut Rue des Martyrs complementary colour Ogden Rood Boulevard de Rochechouart Charles Henry Renoir  Acrobats at the Cirque Fernando (Francisca and Angelina Wartenberg) Parade (Circus sideshow) Jules Chéret Karl Gampenrieder Paris Circus Fernando chromolithograph Toulouse-Lautrec