Drunk Clown

Now for a bit of contrast: A drunk clown? They’re usually presented as beloved characters who entertain those around them, yet carry a deep loneliness within. The cliché (or reality) that ‘while everyone is laughing, he is actually crying’ has inspired many stories and films like Batman & Joker. A line from a poem (whose author is debated) goes: ‘Pour the rakı, clown, we are fewer tonight.’ (You can easily find it online as the Clown Poem.) What’s this clown drinking? Rakı—a strong alcoholic beverage we usually drink when sad or in deep conversation. While writing these lines, an urge to cry welled up inside me. Among many colorful paintings, this is perhaps the darkest, like the night. The Boatman is there again, observing the clown's sadness and solitude. But balloons still give a touch of romance.

Gouache on paper, 15 x 15 cm, Private Collection