Brighton Pierrots 1915, Walter Sickert
“Despite the assocation of seaside pierrots with carefree holiday fun, the pervasive mood of Sickert’s painting is one of tension and melancholy. The contrived atmosphere of a stilted performance is suggested by the stiffness of the figures on the stage… The Brighton Gazette gamely reported an upbeat mood in the town but also printed the weekly casualty lists recording heavy losses from the front.” (Moorby, Modernism-on Sea)
