The history of the harlequinade, volume 1 (of 2) by Maurice Sand
QR code
"The history of the harlequinade, volume 1 (of 2)" by Maurice Sand is a historical study of theatre and performance written in the early 20th century. The work explores the lineage of the commedia dell’arte—its masks, costumes, improvisational methods, and touring troupes—tracing how figures like Harlequin, Pantaloon, Columbine, and Pierrot developed from ancient mime and Atellane farce through the Italian Renaissance and into French popular theatre. It focuses especially on Harlequin’s iconography,
stagecraft, and shifting character, setting the scene for a detailed typology of the classic masks. At the start of this study, the author surveys a long prehistory: Greek mimes and dancers, Roman pantomime and masks, and the use of marionettes, showing how comic performance survived Church prohibitions to re-emerge in medieval and Renaissance Italy. He explains the scenari and improvisation of the commedia dell’arte, the stock roles and regional variants, the acoustics and staging of Renaissance theatres, and the spread of Italian troupes into France, where they influenced fairground stages and the Opéra-Comique amid legal quarrels with established companies. The introduction closes by narrowing the scope to the masks and improvisers themselves. The opening chapter then turns to Harlequin, beginning with a playful first-person monologue that sketches his poverty, gluttony, cowardice, agility, and amorous intrigues, before unpacking his probable descent from ancient phallophores and planipes, the evolution of his black half-mask, patchwork costume, bat, and rabbit-tail emblem, and the shift from simpleton to witty trickster. It culminates with the transformation of the role by the famed actor Domenico Biancolelli, whose lively dancing and invention helped fix the modern Harlequin. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
- Download the EPUB3 file above
- Upload it on the Amazon site your Kindle is registered with: amazon.com/sendtokindle for the US, amazon.co.uk/sendtokindle for the UK etc.
- It appears on your Kindle and in the Kindle app
Kobo, Nook etc. → Transfer via USB
- Download the EPUB3 file on your computer
- Connect your e-reader by USB and tap "Connect" on its screen
- Drag the file onto the e-reader drive
Phone, Tablet or Computer → Online or Reading App
Easiest: read online in your browser. Nothing to install.
Or use a reading app:
- Find and install one you like, for example Apple Books, ReadEra or Thorium Reader
- Download the EPUB3 file above
- Open it in the app
More help: iPhone / iPad · Android · Computer
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Sand, Maurice, 1823-1889 |
|---|---|
| Title | The history of the harlequinade, volume 1 (of 2) |
| Original Publication | London: Martin Secker, 1915. |
| Note | Translation of the first part of: Masques et bouffons. |
| Credits | deaurider and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 67.9 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese |
| Subject | Pantomime |
| Subject | Commedia dell'arte |
| Subject | Italian drama (Comedy) -- History and criticism |
| Subject | Comedy -- History and criticism |
| Subject | Harlequin (Fictitious character) |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 76428 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-76428-3 |
| Release Date | Jul 2, 2025 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 885 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!