Ronald Searle's 1969 lithograph The Greatest Show on Earth depicts a circus animal trainer taking the whip to a giant stumbling fly. It demonstrates Searle's penchant for incorporating the grotesque into his unique graphic humor. He no doubt expected to sell much of the full edition of 99 signed and numbered prints; whether he succeeded is anyone's guess today. An additional ten artist's proofs were also struck. On August 27, this original lithograph was sold at auction in Germany for the opening bid of 80 euros. At this unique moment in history, that comes to precisely $80 US.
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| The Greatest Show on Earth Ronald Searle Lithograph in black, red, blue, violet, and olive green Gurlitt 47 No. 40/99, 1969 |
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| The Greatest Show on Earth Ronald Searle Lithograph in black, red, blue, violet, and olive green Gurlitt 47 No. 40/99, 1969 |
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| Ronald Searle's signature |
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| Ronald Searle Auktionshaus Mehlis GmbH listing accessed August 8, 2022 August 27, 2022, lot 4076 |
Afterward the edition was published, Searle repurposed the image on the black plate for an exhibition poster promoting a July 1969 show in Avignon. The exhibition featured the work of eight artists including Searle himself. The black-and-white version of the lithograph was published in an edition of 30 with three artist's proofs.
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| Galerie Wolfgang Gurlitt catalogue nos. 47 and 48 |
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