The circus has come! (1895)

Udo Keppler's 1895 painting "The Circus Has Come!" is a vivid and complex satire, which utilizes the spectacle of a circus to comment humorously on the heated political topics of its time. Captured in enticingly rich colors, the image unfolds a performance in a makeshift circus ring, where each character and element is heavy with allegorical meaning, pertaining especially to the economic debates surrounding the silver and gold monetary standards in late 19th-century America.Center stage in the painting is a ringmaster, dressed in a traditional circus top hat and red waistcoat, commanding the scene with a whip. He is flanked by two horses, dramatically labeled "Free Silver" and "Gold Standard," illustrating the conflict between the bimetallic and gold-only advocates. Riding the "Free Silver" horse is a figure labeled "D.B. Hill," representing David Bennett Hill, a prominent silverite of the time. Hill, adorned in a flamboyant pink costume, seems to be performing acrobatics atop the horse, possibly symbolizing the struggle and showmanship involved in the political advocacy of the silver standard.Adding another layer to this political circus is a character labeled "Harvey," referring to William Hope Harvey, an influential pro-silver advocate known for his book "Coin’s Financial School." Harvey, depicted humorously as a clown, holds a small banner while jumping, possibly indicating the perceived triviality or marginalization of his views by the opposing faction.