Mr. Grimaldi as Clown in the Popular pantomime of Mother Goose
Date1807
MediumInk on paper
Dimensions13.25 x 8.5 in (34 x 22 cm)
ClassificationsPrints
Credit LineTibbals Circus Collection
Object numberht8000197
The term clown, now so closely aligned with the circus performance, got its start with the Harlequinade, a comic genre of British theatre. The character Clown was a bumbling foil to the sly antics of the lead character, Harlequin.
In 1800 British performer Joseph Grimaldi took on the role of Clown at Sadler's Wells under the direction of Charles Dibdin, founder of the Royal Circus. Dibdin costumed Grimaldi in a brightly colored silk costume rather than the traditional servant's wardrobe of the past. With Grimaldi's comic talent and the vibrant new costume, the character Clown became a dominant part of British pantomime and eventually evolved into the white faced clowns we know today.
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