The Juggler, 1923

The Juggler is the high point of Oscar Jespers' personal take on Cubism. Massiveness and playfulness come here to an absolute harmony. With its cylindrical forms, the sculpture leans more towards the 'tubism' of Léger than towards the analytical cubism of Braque and Picasso. The legs and the torso consist of slightly rounded volumes that are only interrupted by the massive band of the belt. The physiognomy of the juggler is also strongly abstracted. The vague suggestion of a face with nose and eye is half hidden behind the hand and juggling ball. Unique to Jespers's work is the use of polychromy. The harmonious combination of matt, saturated colours intensifies the dynamics and breaks through the monolithic character of the sculpture. Like many other modern artists, Jespers was fascinated by 'circus artists' such as equilibrists, trapeze artists and jugglers because, as befits 'real' artists, they are not bound by the laws of nature and can easily evade gravity. He himself called this sculpture a 'balancer'. A subtle reference to the activity of the artist himself, who is also looking for harmony and balance in his work. And for a sculptor, this is not just for aesthetic reasons but also for reasons of stability.