In this illustration, Christian Bérard has managed to capture all the inventiveness, richness and fantasy of the famous Le Cirque de Schiaparelli collection, presented on February 4, 1938. Elsa Schiaparelli described it in her autobiography Shocking Life as "her most tumultuous, most audacious collection (...); Barnum, Bailey, Grock and the Fratellini were unleashed in a mad sarabande in the dignified salons, on the imposing staircases, in the windows and outside".

Elsa Schiaparelli held her friend Christian Bérard, known as "Bébé," in high esteem. In her book, *Shocking Life*, she wrote of him, "To be approved of, admired, sometimes even loved by Bébé, was a consecration in the artistic, intellectual, and social circles of Paris." A multi-talented artist, Christian Bérard collaborated with Elsa Schiaparelli on numerous occasions. He created fashion illustrations, exclusive printed designs, and even a painted screen for the living room of her townhouse.