Cecil Buller. Burlesque Show/Ladies of the Burlesque, 1932. lithograph, Image: 45.2 x 34.9 cm (17 13/16 x 13 3/4 in.); Secondary Support: 66.5 x 50.2 cm (26 3/16 x 19 3/4 in.). Gift of Sean Murphy in memory of his parents, Cecil Buller and John Murphy, 2013.413. Copyrighted.

Burlesque Show/Ladies of the Burlesque

1932

Cecil Buller

Cecil Buller (Canadian, 1886–1973)

Prints

Burlesque Show/Ladies of the Burlesque, 1932. Cecil Buller (Canadian, 1886–1973). Lithograph; image: 45.2 x 34.9 cm (17 13/16 x 13 3/4 in.); secondary support: 66.5 x 50.2 cm (26 3/16 x 19 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Sean Murphy in memory of his parents, Cecil Buller and John Murphy 2013.413 Shown with simplified features and enhanced by the harsh spotlighting of the stage, the three scantily clad burlesque dancers appear more like sculptures than flesh and bone. Cecil Buller made the visual comparison explicit by placing a caryatid, or sculptural column in the form of a woman, behind the stage. Such architectural extravagances were typical of the grand theaters of the era. By the 1920s, burlesque shows were popular in American cities, featuring comedy acts, skits, songs, and a striptease.

Original Source

Maker/Artist: Cecil Buller
Classification: Print
Formatted Medium: lithograph
Medium: lithograph
Dimensions: Image: 45.2 x 34.9 cm (17 13/16 x 13 3/4 in.); Secondary Support: 66.5 x 50.2 cm (26 3/16 x 19 3/4 in.)
Inscribed: Inscription: On sheet between chine collé and seconary support: lower left, in graphite: 30/30 and lower right, in graphite: Cecil Buller and registration marks in graphite in each of the four corners
Departments: Prints
Accession Number: 2013.413
Credit Line: Gift of Sean Murphy in memory of his parents, Cecil Buller and John Murphy
Exhibitions: Ashcan School Prints and the American City, 1900-1940
Rights Statement: Copyrighted