Richard Flexmore. Lithograph coloured by hand by G Giles after a drawing by J T Desvignes, 1850.

A male figure sideways on to the viewer, with his torso twisted around to his left and looking across his left shoulder. He is jumping off his left leg with his right raised in front; his right arm is curved above his head and his left is out at shoulder height. He wears a clown costume and make-up; the black wig is a tuft on the top and one to either side, on his forehead is a red spot, with red crescents under each eye, red lips and a red spot on the chin. His costume consists of a pointed-front bodice, puffed sleeves over fitted sleeves and trunks; on the bodice, puffed sleeves and panes of the trunks are yellow daisy flowers; the sleeves and ruffles around the lower bodice and legs of the trunks have a green lozenge and yellow spot pattern interspersed with red lines. Around the neck and cuffs is a small yellow spotted frill edged with red. Up each foot and leg is a line of 'gold' lozenges. Above the signature to the left is a posy of flowers and a bunch of carrots.

Given by Dame Marie Rambert

Richard Flexmore was the most famous clown of the mid-19th century, when clowns were associated with pantomime rather than with circus, and was particularly famous for his accurate imitations of leading ballerinas. An eccentric dancer of genius, he found the traditional voluminous breeches too cumbersome and swopped them for baggy trunks worn over tights, which allowed the legs greater freedom; these trunks were trimmed in blue and red braid, which became traditional clown colours.
The print is part of the collection of dance prints amassed by Marie Rambert and her husband, Ashley Dukes in the first half of the 20th century. Eventually numbering 145 items, some of which had belonged to the ballerina Anna Pavlova, it was one of the first and most important specialist collections in private hands.
Rambert bought the first print as a wedding present but could not bear to give it away. As the collection grew, it was displayed in the bar of the Mercury Theatre, the headquarters of Ballet Rambert, but in 1968, Rambert gave the collection to the Victoria and Albert Museum; seven duplicates were returned to Rambert, but these are catalogued in Ivor Guest's A Gallery of Romantic Ballet, which was published before the collection came to the V&A. Although often referred to as a collection of Romantic Ballet prints, there are also important engravings of 17th and 18th century performers, as well as lithographs from the later 19th century, by which time the great days of the ballet in London and Paris were over.

Richard Flexmore was the most famous clown of the mid-19th century, when clowns were associated with pantomime rather than with circus. They had developed a distinctive make-up based on a white face painted with geometric shapes, and a costume made up of a loose, frilled top and loose breeches, also decorated with geometric shapes.
Most clowns are physically adept, but Flexmore was an eccentric dancer of genius. Finding the traditional voluminous breeches too cumbersome, he swopped them for baggy trunks worn over tights, which allowed the legs greater freedom. These trunks were trimmed in blue and red braid, which became traditional clown colours.
Part of his act was the accurate parody of leading ballerinas. On the ground, the carrots are a comment on the bouquets more usually thrown by their admirers.

E.5013-1968