Cultural references to Pierrot


Cultural references to Pierrot have been made since the inception of the character in the 17th century. His character in contemporary popular culture — in poetry, fiction, and the visual arts, as well as works for the stage, screen, and concert hall — is that of the sad clown, often pining for love of Columbine, who usually breaks his heart and leaves him for Harlequin. Many cultural movements found him amenable to their respective causes: Decadents turned him into a disillusioned foe of idealism; Symbolists saw him as a lonely fellow-sufferer; Modernists converted him into a Whistlerian subject for canvases devoted to form and color and line.
This page lists the extensive use of Pierrot's stock character chronologically arranged according to country and artistic medium. The vast geographical range from Europe to Asia and beyond shows how widespread interest in Pierrot is, as does the variation in the artistic styles, from traditional ballet to rap-songs and music videos.

Seventeenth century

France

Playwrights

Eighteenth century

France

Performing artists

Plays

Trophonius's Cave and ''The Golden Ass''

Songs

*

Visual arts

England

Performers

  • Carlo Delpini as Pierrot So conceived, Pierrot was easily and naturally displaced by the native English Clown when the latter found a suitably brilliant interpreter. It did so in 1800, when "Joey" Grimaldi made his celebrated debut in the role.
  • Tiberio Fiorilli as Scaramouche in London.
  • John Rich, The Jealous Doctor; or, The Intriguing Dame, pantomime

Denmark

Performers

Germany

Plays

Spain

Paintings

  • Goya's ''Itinerant Actors''

Nineteenth century

Deburau at the Théâtre des Funambules

Performers

Writers

Visual arts

Pantomime after Baptiste: Charles Deburau, Paul Legrand, and their successors

Writers

Marquis Pierrot Pantomime of the Attorney

Pantomime and late nineteenth-century art

France

;Popular and literary pantomime
  • A female version, Pierrette, appears on the scene
;Songs
;Performing artists
;Visual arts, fiction, poetry, music, and film

Belgium

;Painters

Austria and Germany

Italy

Spain

North America

Central and South America

Russia

;DanceHarlequin's Millions a.k.a. Harlequinade, its libretto and choreography by Marius Petipa, its music by Riccardo Drigo

Early twentieth century (1901–1950): notable works

Non-operatic works for stage and screen

Plays, playlets, pantomimes, and revues

American —Clements, Colin Campbell: Pierrot in Paris ; Faulkner, William: The Marionettes ; Hughes, Glenn: Pierrot's Mother ; Johnstone, Will B.: I'll Say She Is ; Macmillan, Mary Louise: Pan or Pierrot: A Masque ; Millay, Edna St. Vincent: Aria da Capo ; Renaud, Ralph E.: Pierrot Meets Himself ; Rogers, Robert Emmons: Behind a Watteau Picture ; Shephard, Esther: Pierrette's Heart ; Thompson, Blanche Jennings: The Dream Maker ; Walker, Stuart: The Moon Lady.Argentinian—Lugones, Leopoldo: The Black Pierrot.Austrian—Hardt-Warden, Bruno, and Ignaz Michael Welleminsky: The Tarantella of Death ; Noetzel, Hermann: Pierrot's Summer Night ; Schnitzler, Arthur: The Transformations of Pierrot, The Veil of Pierrette ; Schreker, Franz: The Blue Flower, or The Heart of Pierrot: A Tragic Pantomime, The Bird, or Pierrot's Mania: A Pantomimic Comedy.Belgian—Cantillon, Arthur: Pierrot before the Seven Doors.Brazilian—César da Silva, Júlio: The Death of Pierrot.British—Burnaby, Davy: The Co-Optimists ; Cannan, Gilbert: Pierrot in Hospital ; Craig, Edward Gordon: The Masque of Love ; "Cryptos" and James T. Tanner: Our Miss Gibbs ; Down, Oliphant: The Maker of Dreams ; Drinkwater, John: The Only Legend: A Masque of the Scarlet Pierrot ; Housman, Laurence, and Harley Granville-Barker: Prunella: or, Love in a Dutch Garden ; Lyall, Eric: Two Pierrot Plays ; Rodker, John: "Fear", "Twilight I", "Twilight II" ; Sargent, Herbert C.: Pierrot Playlets: Cackle for Concert Parties.Canadian—Carman, Bliss, and Mary Perry King: Pas de trois ; Green, Harry A.: The Death of Pierrot: A Trivial Tragedy ; Lockhart, Gene: The Pierrot Players.Croatian—Krleža, Miroslav: Mascherata.Dutch—Nijhoff, Martinus: Pierrot at the Lamppost.French—Baival, C., Paul Ternoise, and Albert Verse: Pierrot's Choice ; Ballieu, A. Jacques: Pierrot at the Seaside ; Beissier, Fernand: Mon Ami Pierrot ; Champsaur, Félicien: The Wedding of the Dream ; Guitry, Sacha: Deburau ; Hennique, Léon: The Redemption of Pierrot ; Morhardt, Mathias: Mon ami Pierrot ; Prévert, Jacques: Baptiste ; Strarbach, Gaston: Pierrot's Revenge ; Tervagne, Georges de, and Colette Cariou: Mon ami Pierrot ; Voisine, Auguste: Pierrot's Scullery-Brats ; Willette, Adolphe: Several works, including The Golden Age, Montmartre.German—Feuchtwanger, Lion: Pierrot's Dream ; Levetzow, Karl Michael von: Pierrot's Life, Suffering, and Ascension ; Münzer, Kurt: The Last Mask.Irish—Clarke, Austin: Trilogy of Pierrot/Pierrette plays—The Kiss, The Second Kiss, The Third Kiss.Italian—Adami, Giuseppe: Pierrot in Love ; Cavacchioli, Enrico: Pierrot, Employee of the Lottery: Grotesque Fantasy... ; Zangarini, Carlo: The Divine Pierrot: Modern Tragicomedy....Japanese—Michio Itō : The Donkey.Mexican—Rubio, Darío: Pierrot.Polish—Leśmian, Boleslaw: Pierrot and Columbine.Portuguese—Almada Negreiros, José de: Pierrot and Harlequin.Russian—Blok, Alexander: The Fairground Booth a.k.a. The Puppet Show ; Evreinov, Nikolai: A Merry Death, Today's Columbine, The Chief Thing.Slovenian—Grum, Slavko: Pierrot and Pierrette.Spanish—Aguilar Oliver, Santiago: Gypsy, or Pierrot's Escapade ; Gual, Adrià: The Return of Pierrot ; Ras, Matilde: Pierrot's Studio ; Rusiñol, Santiago: The Song of Always.

Ballet, cabaret, and Pierrot troupes

Austrian—Rathaus, Karol: The Last Pierrot.British—Gordon, Harry: Scottish entertainer —formed a Pierrot troupe in 1909 that played both in theaters and at seaside piers in the northeast of Scotland; The Toreadors Concert Party: formed by Charles Elderton at The Theatre Royal in Hebburn, it was performed from 1904 in Whitley Bay at what became known as Spanish City.French—Saint-Saëns, Camille: Pierrot the Astronomer.French/Russian—Productions of the Ballets Russes, under the direction of Sergei Diaghilev:

Films

American —Bradley, Will: Moongold: A Pierrot Pantomime ; Browning, Tod: Puppets ; Cukor, George: Sylvia Scarlett ; De Pace, Bernardo: The Wizard of the Mandolin.Danish—Schnéevoigt, George: Pierrot Is Crying.Dutch—Frenkel Jr., Theo: The Death of Pierrot ; Binger, Maurits: Pierrot's Lie.French—Burguet, Paul-Henry: The Imprint, or The Red Hand ; Carné, Marcel: Children of Paradise ; Carré fils, Michel: The Prodigal Son a.k.a. Pierrot the Prodigal ; Feuillade, Louis: Pierrot's Projector, Pierrot, Pierrette ; Guitry, Sacha: Deburau ; Guy, Alice: Pierrot, Murderer ; Leprince, René: Pierrot Loves Roses ; Méliès, Georges: By Moonlight, or The Unfortunate Pierrot.German—Gad, Urban: Behind Comedy's Mask ; Gottowt, John: The Black Lottery Ticket, or Pierrot's Last Night on the Town ; Löwenbein, Richard: Marionettes ; Piel, Harry: The Black Pierrot ; Wich, Ludwig von: The Cuckolded Pierrot.Italian—Alberini, Filoteo: Pierrot in Love ; Bacchini, Romolo: Pierrot's Heart ; Camagni, Bianca Virginia: Fantasy ; Caserini, Mario: A Pierrot's Romance ; Falena, Ugo: The Disillusionment of Pierrot ; Negroni, Baldassarre: Story of a Pierrot a.k.a. Pierrot the Prodigal ; Notari, Elvira and Eduardo: So Cries Pierrot.Polish—Karenne, Diana : Pierrot a.k.a. Story of a Pierrot.Swedish—Lund, Oscar A.C. : When Pierrot Met Pierrette ; Sjöström, Victor : He Who Gets Slapped.

Visual arts

Works on canvas, paper, and board

American—Bloch, Albert : Many works, including Harlequinade, Pierrot ; Piping Pierrot, Harlequin and Pierrot, Three Pierrots and Harlequin ; Bradley, Will: Various posters and illustrations ; Heintzelman, Arthur William: Pierrot ; Hopper, Edward: Soir Bleu ; Kuhn, Walt: Portrait of the Artist as a Clown, Study for Young Clown, Clown in Blue, Clown ; Parrish, Maxfield: Pierrot's Serenade, The Lantern-Bearers, Her Window ; Sloan, John: Old Clown Making Up ; Yasuo Kuniyoshi : The Clown.Austrian—Eggeler, Stefan: Many works, including "Pierrot's Song of Love and Death", 6 lithographs in 1922 ed. of Arthur Schnitzler's Veil of Pierrette, The Disappointed Lover, On the Way Home ; Geiger, Richard : Many works, including Columbine and Pierrot, Duet, Pierrot and Columbine ; Kirchner, Raphael: The Loves of Pierrot ; Kubin, Alfred: Death of Pierrot ; Schiele, Egon: Pierrot .Belgian—Ensor, James: Pierrot and Skeletons, Pierrot and Skeletons, Intrigued Masks ; Henrion, Armand: Series of self-portraits as Pierrot.Brazilian—Di Cavalcanti: Pierrot.British—Armstrong, John: Veronica as a Clown ; Knight, Laura: Clown ; Sickert, Walter: Pierrot and Woman Embracing, Brighton Pierrots.Canadian—Manigault, Edward Middleton : The Clown, Eyes of Morning .Cuban—Beltrán Masses, Federico : Azure Hour, Sick Pierrot.Czech—Kubišta, Bohumil: Pierrot.Danish—Nielsen, Kay : Pierrot.French—Alleaume, Ludovic: Poor Pierrot ; Derain, André: Pierrot, Harlequin and Pierrot ; Gabain, Ethel: Many works, including Pierrot, Pierrot's Love-letter, Unfaithful Pierrot ; La Fresnaye, Roger de: Study for "Pierrot" ; La Touche, Gaston de: Pierrot's Greeting ; Laurens, Henri: Pierrot ; Matisse, Henri: The Burial of Pierrot ; Mossa, Gustav-Adolf: Pierrot and the Chimera, Pierrot Takes His Leave, Pierrot and His Doll ; Picabia, Francis: Pierrot, Hanged Pierrot ; Renoir, Pierre-Auguste: White Pierrot ; Rouault, Georges: Many works, including White Pierrot, Pierrot, Pierrot, Pierrot , Aristocratic Pierrot, The Wise Pierrot, Blue Pierrots with Bouquet.German—Beckmann, Max: Pierrot and Mask, Before the Masked Ball, Carnival ; Campendonk, Heinrich: Pierrot with Mask, Pierrot , Pierrot with Sunflower ; Dix, Otto: Masks in Ruins ; Erler, Fritz: Black Pierrot ; Faure, Amandus: Standing Artist and Pierrot ; Heckel, Erich: Dead Pierrot ; Hofer, Karl: Circus Folk, Masquerade a.k.a. Three Masks ; Leman, Ulrich: The Juggler ; Macke, August: Many works, including Ballets Russes, Clown , Face of Pierrot, Pierrot and Woman ; Mammen, Jeanne: The Death of Pierrot ; Nolde, Emil: Pierrot and White Lilies, Women and Pierrot ; Rauth, Leo: Many works, including Pierrot and Columbine, A Welcome Guest, Confession of Love, In the Spotlight ; Schlemmer, Oskar: Pierrot and Two Figures ; Werner, Theodor: Pierrot lunaire.Italian—Modigliani, Amedeo : Pierrot ; Severini, Gino: Many works, including The Two Pierrots, Pierrot, Pierrot the Musician, The Music Lesson, The Carnival.Mexican—Cantú, Federico: Many works, including The Death of Pierrot, Prelude to the Triumph of Death, The Triumph of Death ; Clemente Orozco, José: The Clowns of War Arguing in Hell ; Montenegro, Roberto: Skull Pierrot ; Zárraga, Ángel: Woman and Puppet.Russian—Chagall, Marc : Pierrot with Umbrella ; Serebriakova, Zinaida: Self-Portrait as Pierrot ; Somov, Konstantin: Lady and Pierrot, Curtain Design for Moscow Free Theater, Italian Comedy ; Suhaev, Vasilij, and Alexandre Yakovlev: Harlequin and Pierrot ; Tchelitchew, Pavel : Pierrot.Spanish—Briones Carmona, Fernando: Melancholy Pierrot ; Dalí, Salvador: Pierrot's Love, Pierrot with Guitar, Pierrot Playing the Guitar ; García Lorca, Federico: Pierrot lunar ; Gris, Juan : Many works, including Pierrot, Pierrot, Pierrot Playing Guitar, Pierrot with Book ; Picasso, Pablo : Many works, including Pierrot, Pierrot and Harlequin, Three Musicians, Portrait of Adolescent as Pierrot, Paul as Pierrot ; Valle, Evaristo: Pierrot.Swiss—Klee, Paul : Many works, including Head of a Young Pierrot, Captive Pierrot, Pierrot Lunaire, Pierrot Penitent ; Menta, Edouard John: Pierrot's Dream.Ukrainian—Andriienko-Nechytailo, Mykhailo : Pierrot with Heart.

Sculptures and constructions

American —Cornell, Joseph: A Dressing Room for Gilles.French—Vermare, André-César: Pierrot.German—Hub, Emil: Pierrot.Lithuanian—Lipchitz, Jacques : Pierrot, Detachable Figure , Pierrot with Clarinet, Seated Pierrot, Pierrot, Pierrot with Clarinet, Pierrot Escapes.Ukrainian—Archipenko, Alexander : Carrousel Pierrot, Pierrot ; Ekster, Aleksandra : Pierrot.

Literature

Poetry

American —Akins, Zoë: "Pierrot and the Parasol", "Pierrot and the Peacock's Feather" ; Banning, Kendall, ed.: Mon Ami Pierrot: Songs and Fantasies ; Beswick, Katherine: Columbine Wonders and Other Poems ; Bodenheim, Maxwell: "Pierrot Objects" ; Branch, Anna Hempstead: "The Theatre-Curtain" ; Breed, Ida Marian: Poems for Pierrot ; Burt, Maxwell Struthers: "Pierrot at War" ; Burton, Richard: "Here Lies Pierrot" ; Chaplin, Ralph: Maybe, Pierrot... ; Crane, Hart: "The Moth That God Made Blind" ; Crapsey, Adelaide: "Pierrot" ; Faulkner, William: Vision in Spring ; Ficke, Arthur Davison: "A Watteau Melody" ; Garrison, Theodosia: "At Columbine's Window", "The Memories of Pierrot", "Good-Bye, Pierrette", "Monseigneur Plays", "When Pierrot Passes" ; Griffith, William: Loves and Losses of Pierrot, Three Poems: Pierrot, the Conjurer, Pierrot Dispossesed, The Stricken Pierrot ; Hughes, Langston: "A Black Pierrot", "Pierrot", "For Dead Mimes", "Heart" ; Johns, Orrick: "The Last Poet" ; Loveman, Samuel: "In Pierrot's Garden" ; Lowell, Amy: "Stravinsky's Three Pieces: "Grotesques", for string quartet" ; Masters, Edgar Lee: "Poor Pierrot" ; Moore, Marianne: "To Pierrot Returning to His Orchid" ; Shelley, Melvin Geer: "Pierrot" ; Stevens, Wallace: "Pierrot" ; Taylor, Dwight: Some Pierrots Come from behind the Moon ; Teasdale, Sara: "Pierrot", "Pierrot's Song", "The Rose" ; Underwood, Wilbur: A Book of Masks ; Viereck, George Sylvester: "Pierrot Crucified" ; Widdemer, Margaret: "The Song of Pierrot".Argentinian—Lugones, Leopoldo: Lunario sentimental.Australian—Gard'ner, Dorothy M.: Pierrot and Other Poems.Austrian—Schaukal, Richard von: Pierrot and Columbine, or The Marriage Song. A Roundelay....British—Becker, Charlotte: "Pierrot Goes" ; Christie, Agatha: A Masque from Italy ; Coward, Noël: "Pierrot and Pierrette" ; Drinkwater, John: "Pierrot" ; Foss, Kenelm: The Dead Pierrot ; Rodker, John: "The Dutch Dolls".Canadian—Carman, Bliss: "Pierrot's House", "Pierrot in Autumn", "At Columbine's Grave", "The Book of Pierrot", from Poems.Dutch—Nijhoff, Martinus: "Pierrot".Estonian—Semper, Johannes: Pierrot.French—Fourest, Georges: "The Blonde Negress" ; Klingsor, Tristan: "By Moonlight", "At the Fountain" ; Magre, Maurice: "The Two Pierrots" ; Rouault, Georges: Funambules.German—Gleichen-Russwurm, Alexander von: Pierrot: A Parable in Seven Songs ; Günter, Marie-Madeleine: "Black Pierrot" ; Presber, Rudolf: Pierrot: A Songbook.Jamaican—Roberts, Walter Adolphe: Pierrot Wounded, and Other Poems.New Zealander—Hyde, Robin: "Pierrette", "The Dying Pierrot".Puerto Rican—Nicolás Blanco, Antonio: Pierrot's Garden.Russian—Akhmatova, Anna: Poem without a Hero ; Blok, Alexander: "The Puppet Show", "The Light Wandered about in the Window", "The Puppet Booth", "In the Hour when the Narcissus Flowers Drink Hard", "He Appeared at a Smart Ball", "Double" ; Guro, Elena: "Boredom" and "Lunar", from The Hurdy-Gurdy ; Kuzmin, Mikhail Alekseevich: "Where will I find words", "In sad and pale make-up".Spanish—Carrere, Emilio: "End of Carnival" ; Champourcin, Ernestina de: "Romantic Carnival" ; García Lorca, Federico: "Pierrot: Intimate Poem" ; Machado, Manuel: Caprices.Ukrainian—Semenko, Mykhaylo: Pierrot Loves, Pierrot Puts on Airs, Pierrot Deadnooses.

Fiction

American —Carryl, Guy Wetmore: "Caffiard, Deus ex Machina".Austrian—Musil, Robert: The Man Without Qualities.British—Ashton, Helen: Pierrot in Town ; Baring, Maurice: "Fête Galante", from Orpheus in Mayfair ; Barrington, Pamela: White Pierrot ; Callaghan, Stella: "Pierrot and the Black Cat", Pierrot of the World ; Deakin, Dorothea: The Poet and the Pierrot ; Herring, Paul: The Pierrots on the Pier: A Holiday Entertainment ; MacKenzie, Compton: The Early Life and Adventures of Sylvia Scarlett ; Priestley, J.B.: The Good Companions.Czech—Kožík, František: The Greatest of the Pierrots.French—Alain-Fournier: Le Grand Meaulnes a.k.a. The Wanderer ; Champsaur, Félicien: Lulu, Le Jazz des Masques ; Gyp: Mon ami Pierrot ; Queneau, Raymond: Pierrot mon ami ; Rivollet, Georges: "The Pierrot".Guatemalan—Gómez Carrillo, Enrique: Bohemia sentimental.Mexican—Couto Castillo, Bernardo: "Pierrot-Gravedigger".Russian/Soviet—Tolstoy, Aleksey Nicolayevich: The Golden Key, or The Adventures of Buratino.

Music

Songs and song-cycles

American —Goetzl, Anselm: "Pierrot's Serenade" ; Hoiby, Lee: "Pierrot" ; Johnston, Jesse: "Pierrot: Trio for Women's Voices" ; Kern, Jerome: "Poor Pierrot". For settings of poems by Langston Hughes and Sara Teasdale, see also these notes.British—Coward, Sir Noël: "Parisian Pierrot" ; Scott, Cyril: "Pierrot amoureux", "Pierrot and the Moon Maiden" ; Shaw, Martin: "At Columbine's Grave".French—Lannoy, Robert: "Pierrot the Street-Waif" ; Poulenc, Francis: "Pierrot" ; Privas, Xavier: Many works, in both Chansons vécues and Chanson sentimentale ; Rhynal, Camille de: "The Poor Pierrot".German—Künneke, Eduard: Songs of Pierrot.Italian—Bixio, Cesare Andrea: "So Cries Pierrot" ; Bussotti, Sylvano: "Pierrot".Japanese—Osamu Shimizu: Moonlight and Pierrot Suite.
  • See also Pierrot lunaire below.

Instrumental works (solo and ensemble)

American —Abelle, Victor: "Pierrot and Pierrette" ; Neidlinger, William Harold: Piano Sketches ; Oehmler, Leo: "Pierrot and Pierrette – Petite Gavotte".Belgian—Strens, Jules: "Mon ami Pierrot".British—Scott, Cyril: "Two Pierrot Pieces", "Pierrette".Brazilian—Nazareth, Ernesto: "Pierrot".Czech—Martinů, Bohuslav: "Pierrot's Serenade", from Marionettes, III.French—Audan, Marguerite: "Pierrot and Pierrette" ; Debussy, Claude: Sonata for Cello and Piano ; Popy, Francis: Pierrot Sleeps ; Salzedo, Carlos : "Pierrot is Sad", from Sketches for Harpist Beginners, Series II ; Satie, Erik: "Pierrot's Dinner".German—Bohm, Carl: Carnival ; Kaun, Hugo: Pierrot and Columbine: Four Episodes.Hungarian—Vecsey, Franz von: "Pierrot's Grief".Italian—Drigo, Riccardo : "Pierrot's Song: Chanson-Serenade for Piano" ; Pierrot and Columbine". These pieces are re-workings of the famous "Serenade" from his score for the ballet Les Millions d'Arlequin.Swiss—Bachmann, Alberto: Children's Scenes.

Works for orchestra

American —Thompson, Randall: Pierrot and Cothurnus.Austrian—Zeisl, Erich: Pierrot in the Bottle: Ballet-Suite.British—Bantock, Sir Granville: Pierrot of the Minute: Overture to a Dramatic Fantasy of Ernest Dowson ; Holbrooke, Joseph Charles: Ballet Suite #1, "Pierrot", for String and Full Orchestra.French—Popy, Francis: Pierrot's Secret.German—Reger, Max: A Ballet-Suite for Orchestra.Hungarian—Lehár, Franz: "Pierrot and Pierrette".Italian—Masetti, Enzo: Contrasts.Russian—Pingoud, Ernest : Pierrot's Last Adventure.

Operas, operettas, and ''zarzuelas''

American —Barlow II, Samuel Latham Mitchell: Mon Ami Pierrot.Austrian—Berg, Alban: Lulu ; Korngold, Erich Wolfgang: Die tote Stadt.Belgian—Dell'Acqua, Eva: Pierrot the Liar ; Renieu, Lionel: The Chimera, or Pierrot the Alchemist.British—Holbrooke, Joseph Charles: Pierrot and Pierrette ; Smyth, Ethel: Fête Galante.German—Goetze, Walter: The Golden Pierrot.Hungarian—Hajos, Karl: The Black Pierrot ; Lehár, Franz: The Count from Luxembourg.Italian—Menotti, Gian Carlo: The Death of Pierrot.Peruvian—Sassone, Felipe : Pierrot's Song.Spanish—Barrera Saavedra, Tomás: Pierrot's Dream ; Chapí, Ruperto: The Tragedy of Pierrot ; Fernández-Shaw, Guillermo, and Rafael Fernández-Shaw: Pierrot.

Late twentieth/early twenty-first centuries (1951– ): notable works

In the latter half of the twentieth century, Pierrot continued to appear in the art of the Modernists—or at least of the long-lived among them: Chagall, Ernst, Goleminov, Hopper, Miró, Picasso—as well as in the work of their younger followers, such as Gerard Dillon, Indrek Hirv, and Roger Redgate. And when film arrived at a pinnacle of auteurism in the 1950s and '60s, aligning it with the earlier Modernist aesthetic, some of its most celebrated directors—Bergman, Fellini, Godard—turned naturally to Pierrot.
But Pierrot's most prominent place in the late twentieth century, as well as in the early twenty-first, has been in popular, not High Modernist, art. As the entries below tend to testify, Pierrot is most visible in unapologetically popular genres—in circus acts and street-mime sketches, TV programs and Japanese anime, comic books and graphic novels, children's books and young adult fiction, Hollywood films, and pop and rock music. He generally assumes one of three avatars: the sweet and innocent child, the poignantly lovelorn and ineffectual being, or the somewhat sinister and depraved outsider.
The format of the lists that follow is the same as that of the previous section, except for the Western pop-music singers and groups. These are listed alphabetically by first name, not last.

Non-operatic works for stage and screen

Plays, pantomimes, variety shows, circus, and dance

American—Balanchine, George : Harlequin ; Craton, John: Pierrot and Pierrette a.k.a. Le Mime solitaire ; Muller, Jennifer : Pierrot ; Russillo, Joseph : Pierrot ; Totheroh, Dan: The Masque of Pierrot: A Masque in One Act ; Wilson, Robert: Letter to a Man.British—Littlewood, Joan, and the Theatre Workshop: Oh, What a Lovely War! ; Wilson, Ronald Smith: Harlequin, Pierrot & Co..Canadian—Cirque du Soleil : Corteo, La Nouba.Cuban—Morejón, Nancy: Pierrot and the Moon.Czech—Fialka, Ladislav: Mime who created clown personae modeled after Marcel Marceau, Pierrot, and a Chaplinesque whiteface figure wearing a bow tie and straw hat. In 1953–1954, he staged pantomimic dances based on Pierrot playlets enacted by Jean-Gaspard Deburau. After meeting Marceau in Paris in 1956, he founded, two years later, his own pantomime company and began producing revue/cabaret pantomime shows in which the action revolved around his clown characters. In 1977, he staged Funambules, scenes based upon the life of Deburau.French—Marceau, Marcel: Pierrot of Montmartre ; The Mime Sime: The Fantasies of Pierrot.German—König, Rainer: Pierrot's Version: A Mime Breaks His Silence ; Lemke, Joachim: Pierrot for a Moment ; Le Pustra : self-styled "Vaudeville's Darkest Muse".Irish—See Clarke, Austin, above, under Plays, playlets, pantomimes, and revues: Irish.Russian—Pimonenko, Evgeny : Your Pierrot.Swedish—Cramér, Ivo: Pierrot in the Dark.Swiss—Pic : Pierrot clown famously associated, from 1980, with the German Circus Roncalli.
  • See also Pierrot lunaire below.

Films and television

American—Anger, Kenneth: Rabbit's Moon ; Irwin, Bill: The Circus ; Kelly, Gene: Invitation to the Dance ; Wise, Robert: Star!.British—Graham, Matthew, and Ashley Pharaoh: Ashes to Ashes ; Mahoney, Brian: Pierrot in Turquoise or The Looking Glass Murders ; The Affair at the Victory Ball.Canadian/German—LaBruce, Bruce: Pierrot Lunaire.French—Albicocco, Jean-Gabriel: Le Grand Meaulnes a.k.a. The Wanderer ; Godard, Jean-Luc: Pierrot le fou.Italian—Cavani, Liliana: The Night Porter ; Fellini, Federico: The Clowns.Japanese—Shinichiro Watanabe: Cowboy Bebop ; Shōji Yonemura: Smile PreCure!. See also "Japanese " under Comic books.Russian—Nechayev, Leonid: The Adventures of Buratino.Swedish—Bergman, Ingmar: In the Presence of a Clown.

Visual arts

American —Dellosso, Gabriela Gonzalez: Many works, most notably Garrik ; Hopper, Edward: Two Comedians ; Longo, Robert: Pressure ; Nauman, Bruce: No No New Museum ; Serrano, Andres: A History of Sex .Argentinian—Ortolan, Marco: Venetian Clown ; Soldi, Raúl: Pierrot, Three Pierrots.Austrian—Absolon, Kurt: Cycle of Pierrot works.British—Hockney, David: Troop of Actors and Acrobats, paintings on Munich museum walls for group exhibition on Pierrot ; Self, Colin: Pierrot Blowing Dandelion Clock.Chilean—Bravo, Claudio: The Ladies and the Pierrot.Colombian—Botero, Fernando: Pierrot, Pierrot lunaire, Blue Pierrot, White Pierrot.German—Alt, Otmar: Pierrot.; Ernst, Max : Mon ami Pierrot ; Lüpertz, Markus: Pierrot lunaire: Chair.Italian—Barnabè, Duilio : Pierrot.Irish—Dillon, Gerard: Many works, including Bird and Bird Canvas, And the Time Passes, The Brothers, Beginnings, Encounter, Red Nude with Loving Pierrot ; Robinson, Markey: Many works.Russian—Chagall, Marc : Circus Scene, Pierrot lunaire.Spanish—Miró, Joan : Pierrot le fou ; Picasso, Pablo : Many works, including Pierrot with Newspaper and Bird, various versions of Pierrot and Harlequin, and metal cut-outs: Head of Pierrot, Pierrot ; Roig, Bernardí: Pierrot le fou ; Ruiz-Pipó, Manolo: Many works, including Orlando , Pierrot Lunaire, Lunar Poem.
  • Commercial art. A variety of Pierrot-themed items, including figurines, jewelry, posters, and bedclothes, are sold commercially.

Literature

Poetry

American —Hecht, Anthony: "Clair de lune" ; Koestenbaum, Wayne: Pierrot Lunaire ; Nyhart, Nina: "Captive Pierrot" ; Peachum, Jack: "Our Pierrot in Autumn".British—Moorcock, Michael: "Pierrot on the Moon" ; Smart, Harry: "The Pierrot".Estonian—Hirv, Indrek: The Star Beggar.French—Butor, Michel and Michel Launay: Pierrot Lunaire.Italian—Brancaccio, Carmine: The Pierrot Quatrains.New Zealander—Sharp, Iain: The Pierrot Variations.

Fiction

American —Caine, Rachel: Feast of Fools ; Dennison, George: "A Tale of Pierrot" ; dePaola, Tomie: Sing, Pierrot, Sing: A Picture Book in Mime ; Hoban, Russell : Crocodile and Pierrot: A See-the-Story Book.Austrian—Frischmuth, Barbara: From the Life of Pierrot.Belgian—Norac, Carl: Pierrot d'amour.Brazilian—Antunes, Ana Claudia: The Pierrot's Love.British—Gaiman, Neil : "Harlequin Valentine", Harlequin Valentine ; Greenland, Colin: "A Passion for Lord Pierrot" ; Moorcock, Michael: The English Assassin and The Condition of Muzak, "Feu Pierrot" ; Stevenson, Helen: Pierrot Lunaire.Canadian—Major, Henriette: The Vampire and the Pierrot ; Laurent McAllister: "Le Pierrot diffracté".French—Boutet, Gérard: Pierrot and the Secret of the Flint Stones ; Dodé, Antoine: Pierrot Lunaire ; Tournier, Michel: "Pierrot, or The Secrets of the Night".Japanese—Kōtaro Isaka: A Pierrot a.k.a. Gravity Clown.Polish—Lobel, Anita : Pierrot's ABC Garden.Russian—Baranov, Dimitri: Black Pierrot.South Korean—Jung Young-moon: Moon-sick Pierrot.Spanish—Francés, Victoria: Misty Circus 1: Sasha, the Little Pierrot.

Comic books

American —DC Comics: Batman R.I.P.: Midnight in the House of Hurt.Japanese —Katsura Hoshino: D. Gray-man, serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump, Jump Square, Jump SQ.Crown, and Jump SQ.Rise ; Takashi Hashiguchi: Yakitate!! Japan, serialized in Shogakukan's Shōnen Sunday.

Music

Western classical and jazz

; VocalAmerican —Austin, Larry: Variations: Beyond Pierrot ; Fairouz, Mohammed: Pierrot Lunaire ; Hoiby, Lee: "Pierrot". For settings of poems by Langston Hughes and Sara Teasdale, click on the notes following their poems' titles in Poetry: American above.British—Christie, Michael: "Pierrot" ; St. Johanser, Joe: "Pierrot".Polish—Szczeniowski, Boleslaw : "Pierrot".Japanese—Norio Suzuki: "Pierrot Clown".
; InstrumentalAmerican —Brown, Earle: Tracking Pierrot ; DeNizio, John: a number of LPs and EPs of experimental/drone music released under the moniker "Pierrot Lunaire" ; Lewis, John: "Two Lyric Pieces: Pierrot/Columbine", from album The John Lewis Piano ; Rorem, Ned: Bright Music: Pierrot ; Wharton, Geoffry : Five Pierrot Tangos.Argentinian—Franzetti, Carlos: Pierrot and Columbine.Austrian—Herf, Franz Richter: "Pierrot".British—Beamish, Sally: Commedia ; Biberian, Gilbert: Variations and Fugue on "Au Clair de la Lune", Pierrot: A Ballet ; Hackett, Steve: "Pierrot", from Momentum ; Kinsey, Tony: "Pierrot" ; Musgrave, Thea: Pierrot ; Redgate, Roger: Pierrot on the Stage of Desire.Bulgarian—Goleminov, Marin: "Pierrot", from Five Impressions.Canadian—Longtin, Michel: The Death of Pierrot.Dutch—Boer, Eduard de : Pierrot: Scherzo for String Orchestra.Finnish—Tuomela, Tapio: Pierrot: Quintet No. 2 for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano.French—Duhamel, Antoine: Pierrot le fou: Four Pieces for Orchestra ; Françaix, Jean: Pierrot, or The Secrets of the Night ; Lancen, Serge: Mascarade: For Brass Quintet and Wind Orchestra ; Naulais, Jérôme: The Moods of Pierrot.German—Kirchner, Volker David: Pierrot's Gallows Songs ; Kühmstedt, Paul: Dance-Visions: Burlesque Suite.Hungarian—Papp, Lajos: Pierrot Dreams: Four Pieces for Accordion.Italian—Guarnieri, Adriano: Pierrot Suite, Pierrot Pierrot! ; Paradiso, Michele: Pierrot: Ballet for Piano and Orchestra ; Pirola, Carlo: Story of Pierrot ; Stuppner, Hubert: Pierrot and Pierrette ; Vidale, Piero: Pierrot's Dream: Four Fantasy Impressions.Russian—Koshkin, Nikita: "Pierrot and Harlequin", from Masquerades, II ; Voronov, Grigori: Pierrot and Harlequin.Swiss—Gaudibert, Éric: Pierrot, to the table! or The Poet's Supper.Uruguayan—Pasquet, Luis : Triangle of Love.
; OperaAmerican —Baksa, Robert: Aria da Capo ; Bilotta, John George: Aria da Capo ; Blank, Allan: Aria da Capo ; Smith, Larry Alan: Aria da Capo —all libretti by Edna St. Vincent Millay.French— Margoni, Alain: Pierrot, or The Secrets of the Night.Slovenian—Svete, Tomaž: Pierrot and Pierrette.
  • See also Pierrot lunaire below.

Rock/pop

Group names and costumes
American—Bob Dylan performed often in whiteface in his Rolling Thunder Revue, partly in homage to the Barrault/Deburau Pierrot of Children of Paradise; the face of Frank Sinatra is made up as Pierrot's on the cover of his album Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely ; Lady Gaga appears as Pierrot on the cover of her single "Applause" from her album Artpop ; Michael Jackson appears as Pierrot on the cover of the Michael Jackson Mega Box, a DVD collection of interviews with the singer; "Puddles, the Sad Clown with the Golden Voice", a persona of "Big" Mike Geier, pays tribute to Pierrot on his concert tours and YouTube videos, most notably with Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox.British—David Bowie dressed as Pierrot for the single and video of "Ashes to Ashes" and for the cover of his album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) ; Leo Sayer dressed as Pierrot on tour following the release of his first album, Silverbird ; Robots in Disguise: The Tears, a video by Graeme Pearce, features black-suited Pierrots involved in love triangle.Finnish—Poets of the Fall front-man Marko Saaresto uses stage and video personae based on Pierrot, notably in the videos for singles "Carnival of Rust", "Can You Hear Me", "Cradled in Love" and "Drama for Life". His personae go by different names, including "Zoltar", "The Poet of the Fall" and "Jeremiah Peacekeeper".Hungarian—Pierrot's Dream was a rock band performing from 1986 to 1996; its singer-founder Tamás Z. Marosi often appeared in a clown half-mask.Italian—Pierrot Lunaire was a progressive rock/folk band.Japanese—Közi often wore a Pierrot costume while a member of the visual rock band Malice Mizer ; Pierrot was a rock band active from 1994 to 2006.Russian—Cabaret Pierrot le Fou is a cabaret-noir group formed by Sergey Vasilyev in 2009; The Moon Pierrot was a conceptual rock band active from 1985 to 1992; it released its English-language studio album The Moon Pierrot L.P. in 1991.Scottish—Zal Cleminson, lead guitarist of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, appeared in whiteface throughout his years with the group.
Songs, albums, and rock musicals
American —Arcangelo il Demoni : "Pierrot" ; Joe Dassin : "Pauvre Pierrot", from Elle était oh!... ; Thomas Nöla et son Orchestre: "Les Pierrots", in Soundtrack to the Doctor.Australian—Katie Noonan and Elixir: "Pierrot", from First Seed Ripening ; The Seekers: "The Carnival Is Over".Belgian—Sly-Dee: Histoire de Pierrot.Brazilian—Los Hermanos: "Pierrot", from Los Hermanos ; Luiz Bonfá and Maria Toledo: "Pierrot", from Braziliana ; Marina Lima: Pierrot de Brasil.British—Ali Campbell: "Nothing Ever Changes ", from Flying High ; David Bowie: Pierrot in Turquoise ; Michael Moorcock and the Deep Fix: "Birthplace of Harlequin", "Columbine Confused", "Pierrot's Song of Positive Thinking", and "Pierrot in the Roof Garden", from The Entropy Tango and Gloriana Demo Sessions ; Momus: "Pierrot Lunaire", from Oskar Tennis Champion ; Petula Clark: "Pierrot pendu", from Hello Mister Brown ; Placebo: "Pierrot the Clown", from Meds ; Rick Wakeman: "The Dancing Pierrot", from The Art in Music Trilogy ; Soft Machine: "Thank You Pierrot Lunaire", from Volume Two ; Steve Hackett: "Pierrot", from Momentum.Czech—Václav Patejdl: Grand Pierrot.Dutch—Bonnie St. Claire: "Pierrot" ; Thijs Van Leer: "Pierrot".French—Alain Kan: "Au pays de Pierrot" ; Chantal Goya: "Les pierrots de Paris" and "Pierrot tout blanc", in Monsieur le Chat Botté ; Danielle Licari: "Les Chansons de Pierrot" ; Guy Béart: "Pierrot la tendresse", from Béart à l'université de Louvain ; Gérard Lenorman: "Pierrot chanteur", from Le Soleil des Tropiques ; Jacques Dutronc: "Où est-il l'ami Pierrot?", from L'intégrale les Cactus ; Loïc Lantoine: "Pierrot", from Tout est calme ; Maxime Le Forestier: "Le Fantôme de Pierrot", from Hymne à sept temps ; Michèle Torr: "Dis Pierrot", from film Une fille nommée amour ; Mireille Mathieu: "Mon copain Pierrot" ; Pascal Danel: "Pierrot le sait" ; Pierre Perret: Le Monde de Pierrot ; Renaud: "Chanson pour Pierrot", from Ma Gonzesse ; Saez: "Les enfants lune", from Acte 1 Manifeste : L'Oiseau Liberté.Italian—Bandabardò: "La fine di Pierrot", from Tre passi avanti ; Gianni Togni: "Luna", from ...E in quel momento ; Gigi Finizio: "Pierrot", from A te donna ; Litfiba: "Pierrot e la luna", from 17 RE ; Matia Bazar: "Mio bel Pierrot", from Il tempo del sole ; Novembre: "Come Pierrot", from Novembrine Waltz ; Patty Pravo: "Come un Pierrot" ; Pierrot Lunaire: Pierrot Lunaire.Japanese—9mm Parabellum Bullet: "Mad Pierrot" ; Alcoholic Kidz: "Pierrot" ; Aya Kamiki: "Pierrot" ; Berryz Kobo: "Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba" ; Hatsune Miku: ピエロ , からくりピエロ ; Mothy a.k.a. Akuno-P: "The Fifth: Pierrot" ; Pierrot: Mad Pierrot ; Tanaka Koki of pop group KAT-TUN: "Pierrot", from Break the Records: By You & For You ; Toshihiko Tahara: "Pierrot" ; Yellow Magic Orchestra: "Mad Pierrot", from Yellow Magic Orchestra ; DADAROMA: “Risley Circus” ; ZUN: "星条旗のピエロ", from Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom.Monegasque—Jacques Pills: "Mon ami Pierrot"—Eurovision Song Contest 1959 entry.Puerto Rican—Tony Fargo: "Pierrot".South Korean—Elizabeth: "Ppappa Pierrot" ; Kim Wan-sun: 삐에로는 우릴 보고 웃지 "Pierrot Laughs at Us" ; JYJ: "Pierrot", from Their Rooms "Our Story" ; Lee Hyun Do: "Pierrot" ; Maximum Crew: Pierrot ; Outsider: "Pierrot's Tear", from Vol. 2 Maestro, "Pierrot's Tear II", from Vol. 2.5 The Outsider, "Pierrot's Tear III", from Vol. 3 Hero ; Rainbow: "Pierrot", from INNOCENT.Uruguayan—Falta y Resto: "Brindis por Pierrot", from Amor Rioplatense ; Jaime Roos: Brindis por Pierrot.

Works cited

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