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Pierrot
Pierrot, stock character in the French and English theatres, derived from the commedia dell'arte mask Pedrolino. The transformation is usually attributed to an Italian actor named Giuseppe Giaratone or Giratoni, who joined the Comédie-Italienne in Paris in about 1665. He accentuated the character's simplicity and awkwardness, an important feature of his later manifestations, and dressed him in the familiar costume, a loose white garment with long sleeves, ruff, and large hat whose soft brim flapped round his whitened face. This, with some modifications, has remained his distinguishing garb ever since, but his character was fundamentally altered by Deburau, who for some 20 years played Pierrot at the Funambules. He was succeeded in the part by his son and later by Paul Legrand, who made the character less amusing and more sentimental. This was later developed by a host of imitators until the robust country bumpkin of early days became a lackadaisical, love-sick youth, pining away through unrequited love and much addicted to singing mournful ballads under a full moon. Meanwhile the Pierrot of Deburau had become well known in London, where in 1891 he was seen as the hero of a wordless play L'Enfant prodigue (The Prodigal Son), produced in Paris in 1889. The character, which had been ousted from the harlequinade by the English Clown, still occasionally appeared in pantomime and revue, and regained much of his old vigour when he was incorporated into the new Pierrot troupes.
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PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Pierrot." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Pierrot." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-Pierrot.html PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Pierrot." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-Pierrot.html |
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Pierrot
Pierrot a stock male character in French pantomime, usually played as a sentimental lovesick youth with a sad white-painted face, a loose white costume with a neck ruff, and a pointed hat. The character derives from Pedrolino of the Italian Commedia dell'Arte; originally a robust but simple-minded servant, the victim of pranks practised by his fellow comedians, he was gradually transformed by his interpretation in the French theatre.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Pierrot." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Pierrot." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Pierrot.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Pierrot." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Pierrot.html |
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Pierrot
Pierrot [Fr.,=little Peter], character in French pantomime. A buffoon, he wore a loose white tunic with big buttons, balloon sleeves, and white pantaloons. His face was painted white. A creation of Giuseppe Giaratone or Geratoni (fl. 1639-97), Pierrot was introduced to early 19th-century France by Deburau . |
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"Pierrot." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Pierrot." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Pierrot.html "Pierrot." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Pierrot.html |
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pierrot
pierrot French pantomime character; clown with whitened face in fancy costume. XVIII. — F., appellative use of pet-form of Pierre Peter.
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T. F. HOAD. "pierrot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "pierrot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pierrot.html T. F. HOAD. "pierrot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pierrot.html |
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Pierrot
Pierrot •arrow, barrow, farrow, harrow, Jarrow, marrow, narrow, sparrow, taro, tarot, Varro, yarrow
•gabbro • Avogadro • Afro • aggro
•macro • cilantro • Castro
•wheelbarrow
•Faro, Kilimanjaro, Pissarro, Pizarro, Tupamaro
•Pedro • allegro • hedgerow • velcro
•escrow
•metro, retro
•electro • Jethro
•bolero, caballero, dinero, Faeroe, pharaoh, ranchero, sombrero, torero
•scarecrow • Ebro
•Montenegro, Negro
•repro • in vitro • Pyrrho • synchro
•windrow • impro • intro • bistro
•Babygro • McEnroe
•biro, Cairo, giro, gyro, tyro
•fibro • micro • maestro
•borrow, Corot, morrow, sorrow, tomorrow
•cockcrow • cointreau
•Moro, Sapporo, Thoreau
•Mindoro • Yamoussoukro
•Woodrow
•burro, burrow, furrow
•upthrow
•De Niro, hero, Nero, Pierrot, Pinero, Rio de Janeiro, sub-zero, zero
•bureau, chiaroscuro, Douro, enduro, euro, Ishiguro, Oruro, Truro
•Politburo • guacharo • Diderot
•vigoro • Prospero • Cicero • in utero
•Devereux • Jivaro • overthrow
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Cite this article
"Pierrot." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Pierrot." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Pierrot.html "Pierrot." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Pierrot.html |
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