White clown
A white clown is that part of a clown collective who presents itself as serious and intelligent and who also presents itself as their penetrating authoritarian boss. In most cases, white clowns do not appear as solo artists, but almost always with at least one "stupid August" . The white clown can be seen as the successor to Harlequin and Pierrot ; "Urahne" is the mimus albus of ancient comedies.
Mark
The white clown is usually dressed in an elegant and expensive-looking costume made of velvet and silk. The bloomers reaching down to the knees, white silk stockings, elegant shoes and a mostly cone-shaped headgear are typical. The face and neck are white, the mouth and ears, on the other hand, are painted red, an eyebrow is often overemphasized with black paint. Often, birthmarks are also highlighted. The drawing on the face of a white clown is always individual and is considered a distinguishing mark, exact imitation is neither common nor desirable.
Commanding his partners, he often turns his back on the audience and otherwise hardly seems to pay any attention to it. As a result, he appears vain and arrogant, as well as through pretended seriousness, i.e. as a caricature of the representative of an elite who is always countered by his partner, the stupid August.
White clowns usually play several musical instruments - and do so with great virtuosity.
Famous white clowns
- Tom Belling jun.
- Yann Rossi from Les Rossyann
- Albert Lorch (clown Alberto) from the Lorch circus family
- Edmondo (Ferenc Göndör alias Náthán Krausz)
- François Fratellini from the Fratellinis
- Francesco Caroli
- Bruno Stutz from Die Chicky’s
- René Rivel from the three Rivels (see Charlie Rivel )
Filmography
See also
literature
- Karl Hoche, Toni Meissner, Bartel F. Sinhuber: The great clowns. Athenaeum, Königstein 1982, ISBN 3-7610-8237-1