Gilles (stock character)

Gilles (French: [ʒil])—sometimes Gille—is a stock character of French farce and commedia dell'arte. He enjoyed his greatest vogue in 18th-century France, in entertainments both at the fairgrounds of the capital and in private and public theaters, though his origins can be traced back to the 17th century and, possibly, the century previous. A Zanni, or comic servant, he is a type of bungling clown, stupid, credulous, and lewd—a character that shares little, problematically, with the sensitive figure in Watteau's famous portrait that, until the latter half of the 20th century, bore his name alone.^[1] Gilles fades from view in the 19th century, to persist in the 20th and 21st as the Belgian Gilles of Binche Carnival.

^ The art historian Pierre Rosenberg notes that, since 1952, "Pierrot clearly has won over Gilles" (p. 430) as the title of Watteau's painting, adding that François Moureau "has proved that Watteau most surely painted a Pierrot" (p. 433). L Moureau's "proof", offered in an appendix to the collection in which Rosenberg's essay appears, rests upon the assumption that Gilles's costume remained invariant throughout his career, beginning with Gilles le Niais (though it is only conjecture—unmentioned by Moureau—that Gilles le Niais formed part of his pedigree): see the illustration at the top of this page and Moureau's note 14 (p. 526). Moureau is apparently unaware of the role that Nicolas Maillot played in the evolution of Gilles's character and costume (see Gilles and Pierrot below).

[1] The art historian Pierre Rosenberg notes that, since 1952, "Pierrot clearly has won over Gilles" (p. 430) as the title of Watteau's painting, adding that François Moureau "has proved that Watteau most surely painted a Pierrot" (p. 433). L Moureau's "proof", offered in an appendix to the collection in which Rosenberg's essay appears, rests upon the assumption that Gilles's costume remained invariant throughout his career, beginning with Gilles le Niais (though it is only conjecture—unmentioned by Moureau—that Gilles le Niais formed part of his pedigree): see the illustration at the top of this page and Moureau's note 14 (p. 526). Moureau is apparently unaware of the role that Nicolas Maillot played in the evolution of Gilles's character and costume (see Gilles and Pierrot below).

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