{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1029831"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1029831/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1029831","accessionNumber":"E.303-1898","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"'L'Ecuyère","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Colour lithograph depicting a female horse rider or equestrian artist in the circus. The setting is probably the Nouveau Cirque as the clowns in the background resemble the famed duo, Foottit & Chocolat.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Ranft, Richard","id":"AUTH344001"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Cabaret","id":"THES274470"},{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Circus","id":"THES261738"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"ES","shelf":"74","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"France","id":"x28849"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1898","earliest":"1898-01-01","latest":"1898-12-31"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Foottit & Chocolat began performing together in 1886 at the Nouveau Cirque, rue Saint-Honoré, Paris. They became a regular duo from 1890 in the classic 'clown/auguste' sketches.  George Foottit (1864-1921) was born in Manchester, England, 1864 into a circus family but found his greatest success in France.  Chocolat was the stage name of Rafael Padilla (circa 1868-1917).  He was born in Havana, Cuba, the son of a slave and was himself sold to an Antillean merchant as a child.  He was sent to Bilbao, Spain, to work in the home of the merchant's mother but managed to escape shortly after and took a variety of menail jobs in the city, doing some street performing on the side. He was thus discovered by a clown called Tony Grice in 1884, moving to Paris to perform with him.  At this time he was given his racist nickname which stuck as his performance name for the rest of his life.  His son, Eugene Grimaldi (1866-1925) took the same name to become a clown and circus performer under the moniker, Chocolat fils.  \nFoottit & Chocolat were two of the most celebrated circus performers in Paris in the fin de siecle, filmed by the brothers Lumiere in 1897.  Padilla was known for his dandy fashions and counted many friends in the bohemian art world including Toulouse-Lautrec who painted or sketched him at least three times ('Chocolat Potin' in La Revue blanche; 'Chocolat Dansant' of 1896; and 'Footit et Chocolat' of 1894). For further information, see Gerard Noiriel, <i>Chocolat, clown nègre: L'histoire oubliée du premier artiste noir de la scène française </i>(Montrouge, Editions Bayard, 2012).","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Print by Richard Ranft entitled 'L'Ecuyère' (The Rider) from L'Estampe Moderne vol. 1, no. 12, April 1898.  Paris.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"circus","id":"AAT69235"},{"text":"clowns","id":"AAT25660"},{"text":"equestrian","id":"AAT188602"},{"text":"horses","id":"AAT162082"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.303-1898"],"accessionNumberNum":"303","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1898,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}