Editing Clown (section)

=== Pierrot and Harlequin ===
{{further|Harlequinade}}
The classical pairing of the White Clown with Auguste in modern tradition
has a precedent in the pairing of [[Pierrot]] and [[Harlequin]] in the [[Commedia dell'arte]].
Originally, Harlequin's role was that of a light-hearted, nimble and astute servant, paired with the sterner and melancholic Pierrot.

In the 18th-century English [[Harlequinade]], Harlequin was now paired with Clown.
As developed by Joseph Grimaldi around 1800, Clown became the mischievous and brutish foil for the more sophisticated Harlequin, who became more of a romantic character. The most influential such pair in Victorian England were the Payne Brothers, active during the 1860s and 1870s.