Barbara Jones – Fairground

Barbara Jones, Fairground, 1945, colour litograph

This beautiful colour litograph by Barbara Jones has been on my mind for a few years now but after watching Wim Wenders’ film “Wings of Desire” (1987) again the other day, I feel in the mood for the circus, carousels and carnival scenes.

The colour litograph shows two carousels, the one in the foreground has horses and roosters which look very vibrant and animated, almost as if they are about to escape the carousel and run off somewhere else. The carousel in the background has dragons which is very exciting as well. The colours are vibrant and childlike, but the style is sophisticated and clearly grown-up. The only people in the litograph are the coconut seller and a woman with two young children in the lower right corner. The three figures are standing and watching the carousels with their backs turned against us. The contrast between the fun and vibrant carnival scene with the absence of people, and especially children, gives the litograph a slightly melancholy feeling. Where are the children? Why isn’t there anyone riding the carousels?

The background for this artwork is interesting as well. The “Fairground” litograph was made for the first series of School Prints; a scheme that commisioned different artists to make litographs which could then be sold at low cost and printed in schoolbooks so that children could get access to real works of art made by contemporary artists. The two most important series of School Prints were made in 1946 and 1947. The plan, although based in the post-war optimism, eventually failed because they made a mistake of commisioning too famous and therefore too expensive artists such as Matisse, Braque and Picasso and the whole thing was not profitable anymore.