In the 19th century, it was very difficult for a woman to be a clown. It was even said that it was impossible for a woman to make people laugh. Any attempt would only make her a vulgar grotesque figure. If she wanted to be a clown, she had to hide her femininity and dress up as a man, and wear pants.

This was before Lulu, the clown who even dared to perform naked on the Parisian stage. In his 1901 novel Lulu, a clown novel, Félicien Champaur was inspired by her and changes this situation of the saltimbanque woman who could only have a secondary role. He places this strong female character of Lulu in full centre, and then recounts her unprecedented rise and glory.

In my series, Morose enchantment, my mysterious clownesses wear the mask of the social anguish of our time. They do not offer a grimacing or caricature image. Between the real and the imaginary, their feminine strength lies in the beauty of their truth, their vulnerability and their authenticity.

I borrow some accessories from clown characters such as the tear, the Pierrot collar, the musical instrument, the red nose, a symbol of the social misfit and the rose, a symbol of loneliness. Each one only appears once in this series of oil paintings.

My clownesses all wear the white mask but on the other hand, each one has a different makeup and costume. They are all unique.

This series creates twelve original clownesses, but in the Suzon style:

Bobo (Sore), Guenille (Rags), Feather, Coffee with milk, Krystal, Lemur, Melody, Bijou (Jewel), Céleste (Celestial), Rose, Belmor (GoodDeath), and Lulu.