Whiteface Clowns

Whiteface Clown - The oldest type of clown is the whiteface, which dates back to the 18th century. These are the clowns that have white over their whole face and neck, and never show any skin color... even on their hands! Bozo and Ronald McDonald are both White-face clowns. The bald-headed French clown Pierrot is said to have introduced whiteface makeup. He used flour to achieve the effect. These clowns usually have very nice, neat costumes. They are a more serious type clown, like a boss clown, that the other clowns like to pull tricks on.

If a whiteface’s painted features are naturally proportioned, the clown is a neat whiteface. Neat whitefaces were popular for many decades but became rarer in the 20th century. If a whiteface’s features are oversized or otherwise exaggerated, the clown is called a grotesque whiteface. Grotesque whitefaces are common in American circus history. The whiteface was a mischievous clown who tended to be bossy and liked to play tricks. Modern whitefaces, however, are often characterized more by sadness than by mischief-making.

Back to Circus Clowns Back to Whiteface Clown