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Dance in Art
Mazurier, rôle de Joko
Unknown artist
- Dance:
- dance
- Collection:
- Prints depicting dance
- Source:
- nypl
- Rights:
- Public Domain
Mazurier was a celebrated figure in Parisian theater whose acrobatic and mime performances were as famous as any dancer of his era. This print provides visual evidence of the spectacular, physically demanding theatrical traditions that coexisted with and influenced dance practice in the early 19th century. Understanding the breadth of bodily virtuosity valued in this period—not only ballet, but mime, acrobatics, and pantomime—reveals how dance existed within a wider ecosystem of performance.
What you are looking at
A large primate, depicted with exaggerated muscularity and expressive posture, stands on a rocky outcrop in an animated interaction with a young male figure in early 19th-century dress—dark blue jacket and pale breeches. The primate reaches toward the youth with one long arm while appearing to hold or pluck at foliage overhead with the other, its body twisted in a dynamic contrapposto. The youth extends one arm toward the creature in a gesture of engagement or play, leaning back slightly with his weight distributed across both legs. The landscape behind them shows verdant vegetation and a distant vista. The print is hand-colored, with warm browns and ochres for the primate's fur, muted greens for the setting, and blue for the youth's jacket. The composition captures a moment of charged physical contact between human and animal, rendered with the theatrical intensity of early 19th-century popular entertainment imagery.
The dancing
The primate's body is twisted in a powerful, acrobatic pose—one arm extended at full length toward the youth, the other reaching upward. Its musculature is emphasized and anatomically exaggerated. The young male figure stands in a balanced, engaged posture with one arm reaching toward the primate and his torso leaning back, suggesting active participation rather than flight. Both figures are in dynamic asymmetrical positions; neither is static. The composition emphasizes physical dialogue and a sense of playful or theatrical contact between the two figures.
The dance depicted
This is not a depiction of dance in the conventional sense, but rather a theatrical or acrobatic scene from a popular performance tradition. The title identifies the work as showing 'Mazurier, rôle de Joko'—referring to a specific performer and character. Joko was a famous mime and acrobat in early 19th-century Paris whose repertoire included pantomime and acrobatic performance, often featuring interactions with animals or fantastical creatures. The physical engagement and exaggerated physicality suggest a moment from a theatrical performance, possibly involving acrobatics or athletic pantomime rather than ballroom or folk dance. The postures are too contorted and theatrical for social dance.
How it was made
This is a hand-colored engraving or etching, characteristic of popular theatrical imagery from the 1820s–1840s. The linear work is precise and confident, defining anatomical form and gesture clearly, while hand-coloring adds appeal and marketability to the print. The technique allowed for rapid reproduction and wide distribution among theater-goers and performers. Such prints were sold as theatrical souvenirs and records of famous performances, circulating among an audience of theater patrons and practitioners rather than as fine art objects.
About this work
This is a theatrical print documenting a celebrated performance by the Parisian mime and acrobat Mazurier in the character of Joko. The image captures an acrobatic moment of physical contact and interaction between a human performer and an animal, emphasizing the spectacular physicality and pantomimic invention that characterized early 19th-century theatrical entertainment. Though not dance in the formal sense, it belongs in a gallery of dance in art because it documents a cognate performance tradition—acrobatic theater and mime—that shared audiences, venues, and sometimes performers with dance. Theatrical physicality and the trained body were central to entertainment across these genres.
How to look at it
Notice the radical asymmetry of the composition: the primate's body is twisted into an impossible spiral, one arm fully extended, the other reaching up, while the youth leans back and extends a single arm in response. There is no neutral or resting moment here—the image freezes a moment of maximum physical expression and mutual engagement. The exaggerated musculature of the primate and the balletic lean of the youth's torso signal that this is theatrical spectacle, not naturalistic animal encounter. The artist has chosen to emphasize movement, tension, and physical virtuosity.
The artist
The artist is not recorded. The print was produced as a commercial theatrical souvenir, a common practice in early 19th-century Paris. Such prints were often unsigned or attributed only to the publisher or engraver. The quality of the engraving and hand-coloring suggests professional workshop production.
The period
The early 19th century saw an explosion of popular theatrical entertainment in Paris and London. Alongside the Romantic ballet's rise, mime, acrobatics, and pantomime thrived as independent forms, often drawing on the same theaters, audiences, and technical vocabularies. Performers like Mazurier were celebrated across Europe. The printed souvenir trade was booming—lithographs and engravings of famous performers sold in theater lobbies and through print sellers, allowing audiences to take home images of their favorite stars. This print is part of that commercial culture.
Where it lives
The print is held in the New York Public Library's collection of prints depicting dance. It appears to be a commercial theatrical engraving from the 1820s–1840s, likely produced in Paris or London.
Questions about this work
Was Mazurier a dancer?
Mazurier (Jean-Antoine Mazurier, 1789–1828) was primarily a mime and acrobat, though he performed in contexts that overlapped with theatrical dance. He was celebrated across Europe for his acrobatic skill and pantomimic invention. While trained in physical performance and a peer of dancers, he is not classified as a dancer in the strict sense.
What is 'rôle de Joko'?
Joko was a character or role in Mazurier's repertoire, likely based on or inspired by colonial and exotic themes popular in early 19th-century theater. The character appears to have involved interaction with animals or fantastical creatures, as this print suggests.
Why is this in a dance collection?
This print documents a tradition of theatrical physicality—acrobatics and mime—that was closely allied with dance and shared audiences, venues, and some performers. Understanding early 19th-century entertainment requires recognizing that 'dance in art' was broader than ballet alone.
What technique was used to make this print?
This is a hand-colored engraving or etching, a mass-produced format that allowed theaters to sell affordable souvenirs. Prints like this were made in large editions and distributed commercially, making them among the most widely circulated images of famous performers.
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