File:Auguste_clown_reading_a_book_upside-down.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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clown

Also known as klaunky

A clown is a person who performs physical comedy and arts in an open-ended fashion, typically while wearing distinct makeup or costuming and reversing folkway-norms. The art of performing as a clown is known as clowning or buffoonery, and the term "clown" may be used synonymously with predecessors like jester, joker, buffoon, fool, or harlequin.

AI overview

A clown is a performer who uses physical comedy and artistic skills to entertain audiences, typically while wearing distinctive makeup or costumes and breaking social norms in deliberate ways. This type of performance, rooted in a long tradition of entertainers like jesters and fools, remains significant as a form of comedy and artistic expression that can challenge and amuse viewers through exaggeration and rule-breaking.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Performing art.name: Clown
Performing art.image: File:Auguste clown reading a book upside-down.jpg
Performing art.caption: A typical clown of the Western "buffoon" tradition
Performing art.medium: Physical comedy, acting, mime
Performing art.types: circus, contemporary circus, comedy, theatre, television, film
Performing art.ancestor: Jester
Performing art.descendant: Harlequinade, comedian

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image: Clown Civertan.jpg

Show 6 more facts

ISCO-88 occupation class: 3474
Commons category: Clowns
Commons gallery: Clowns
female form of label: klounė
Unicode character: 🤡
male form of label: pallaso

Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~22 min read

Article

24 sections

Contents

History
Origin
{{anchor|Auguste}}{{anchor|Red}}Modern circuses
20th-century North America
Types
Circus
Pierrot and Harlequin
{{anchor|White|White_clown_and_Auguste}}{{anchor|Sad}}White and Auguste
In horror
Character
Organizations
Terminology
Roles and skills
Frameworks
Gags, bits and business
Menu
Interludes
Prop stunts
Gallery
See also
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links

Clowns have a diverse tradition with significant variations in costume and performance worldwide. The most recognizable clowns are circus clowns from Western culture, who are characterized by colorful wigs, red noses, and oversized shoes. Clowns have also played roles in theater and folklore, like the court jesters of the Middle Ages and the jesters and ritual clowns of various indigenous American cultures.