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Snake Charmer
1935
Dennis Burlingame
Born: Oneida, New York 1901
Died: New York, New York 1964
oil on fiberboard
21 7/8 x 11 in. (55.5 x 28.0 cm)
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Bequest of Olin Dows
1983.90.214
Smithsonian American Art Museum
4th Floor, Luce Foundation Center
Dennis Burlingame created many paintings based on his experiences in the circus. This image shows a snake charmer in the middle of her act, with a box full of snakes by her side. The generous curves of the woman’s figure and the curly pattern in the wallpaper echo the loops in the snake’s body as it winds around her shoulders. The shabby scenery and muted colors suggest the performer and her act might be past their best, and evoke the tawdry, marginal existence of circus folk.
For more information about this work visit the Luce Foundation Center.
Keywords
Animal - reptile - snake
Figure female - full length
Object - furniture - chest
Performing arts - circus - animal tamer
State of being - other - obese
painting
paint - oil
fiberboard
About Dennis Burlingame
Born: Oneida, New York 1901 Died: New York, New York 1964
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