Laura KnightBritish, 1877–1970Two French Dwarfs
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Two French Dwarfs” now? Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not on view at present. Checked September 25, 2026.
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
Despite Laura Knight titling this sketch 'Two French Dwarfs', the clowns Zoli and Rolley were Hungarian. They appeared with Bertram Mills' Circus at Olympia during their 11th season at London's Olympia, 1930/1931, and the 13th season at Olympia, 1932/1933. Zoli was the celebrated Hungarian clown Zoltan Hirsch (1887-1944) of Jewish descent who appeared in Hungarian films and in circus, but who tragically died at Auschwitz in 1944.
Read on
Laura Knight was fascinated by the circus and was a regular visitor to Bertram Mills' circuses at Olympa from the early days. A founder member of the Circus Fans' Association she painted The Grand Parade Charivari that was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1929, the same year that she travelled with the Mills/Carmo first tenting circus. She sketched and painted numerous works featuring acts from Bertram Mills' circuses that were featured in a variety of promotional material for his shows from the early 1930s including VIP luncheon invitation cards.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Details
- Accession number
- S.1647-1986
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
