From the film-maker:

The painting I was inspired by was 'Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando' by Degas. I chose this particular painting because I was intrigued by the idea that this acrobat had fascinated Degas so much that he had been inspired to paint her performing. The way it influenced my animation was that the story was more about the spectator, the unseen character, and his discovery of this performance, than about the performer who is the focus of the painting. I loved the idea of a character stumbling across a forgotten place with many secrets and this led to the tramp's story, as he discovers the old theatre and uncovers its secret.

Maria Birmingham

A piece inspired by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando, 1879