Pierrot and His World
Art, Theatricality, and the Marketplace in France, 1697–1945

By (author) Marika Takanishi Knowles

ISBN13: 9781526194718

Imprint: Manchester University Press

Publisher: Manchester University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Published: 20/01/2026

Availability: Not yet available

Description
Pierrot, a theatrical stock character known by his distinctive costume of loose white tunic and trousers, is a ubiquitous figure in French art and culture. This richly illustrated book offers an account of Pierrot’s recurrence in painting, printmaking, photography and film, tracing this distinctive type from the art of Antoine Watteau to the cinema of Occupied France. As a visual type, Pierrot thrives at the intersection of theatrical and marketplace practices. From Watteau’s Pierrot (c. 1720) and Édouard Manet’s The Old Musician (1862) to Nadar and Adrien Tournachon’s Pierrot the Photographer (1855) and the landmark film Children of Paradise (1945), Pierrot has given artists a medium through which to explore the marketplace as a form for both social life and creative practice. Simultaneously a human figure and a theatrical mask, Pierrot elicits artistic reflection on the representation of personality in the marketplace. -- .
Introduction 1 Antoine Watteau and the fête marchande 2 Pierrot-co-co 3 New Paris, old Pierrot (new Pierrot, old Paris) 4 Nadar charlatan 5 Old clothes and the dreams of the artist Conclusion Index -- .
  • History of art & design styles: c 1600 to c 1800
  • History of art & design styles: c 1800 to c 1900
  • General (US: Trade)
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List Price: £25.00