You think, as you walk away from Le Cirque des Rêves and into the creeping dawn, that you felt more awake
within the confines of the circus. You are no longer quite certain which side of the fence is the dream.
―Erin Morgenstern (description in The Night Circus, but it could have been about Montmarte!)

The Parisian Cirque is immortalized.

In the late 19th century the circus thrived in Paris with affordable prices in intimate but opulent venues. The European cirque was not a huge spectacle like an American circus. Because it presented one act at a time, the elegant artists commanded everyone's attention. The public knew and loved the performers.

The Nouveau Cirque was a gathering place for painters. Some attended three or four times a week. Toulouse-Lautrec, Rouault, Miró, Chagall, Seurat, and Renoir frequented and painted the Cirque. Picasso loved the clowns, who were growing beyond the classic commèdia identities in the Médrano circus in Montmarte.

Toulouse-Lautrec once created a series of 50 drawings of the circus from memory to prove that he was competent and should be released from a clinic. It worked.

Europeans put art over spectacle and real danger over humbug. Their performers often spent time in America where they could earn a good living, but many returned to Europe.

When Barnum & Bailey toured Europe with three rings and two platforms, critics said it was noisy, distracting, and a general assault on the senses. In Germany people didn't feel the need to buy tickets since the parade was so immense. Also, the Barnum circus included a sideshow that was considered vulgar: such displays were relegated to fairgrounds in Europe.

Artists from other places also celebrate circus.

Polish and Russian artists have a lot of outstanding circus work. Even American magazine covers have some great images.