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50-612: Burlesque overlaps with caricature , parody and travesty , and, in its theatrical form, with extravaganza , as presented during the Victorian era . The word "burlesque" has been used in English in this literary and theatrical sense since the late 17th century. It has been applied retrospectively to works of Chaucer and Shakespeare and to the Graeco-Roman classics. Contrasting examples of literary burlesque are Alexander Pope 's The Rape of

100-498: A resurgence of interest in this format since the 1990s. The word first appears in a title in Francesco Berni 's Opere burlesche of the early 16th century, works that had circulated widely in manuscript before they were printed. For a time, burlesque verses were known as poesie bernesca in his honour. "Burlesque" as a literary term became widespread in 17th century Italy and France, and subsequently England, where it referred to

150-424: A variety show format. These were popular from the 1860s to the 1940s, often in cabarets and clubs, as well as theatres, and featured bawdy comedy and female striptease . Some Hollywood films attempted to recreate the spirit of these performances from the 1930s to the 1960s, or included burlesque-style scenes within dramatic films, such as 1972's Cabaret and 1979's All That Jazz , among others. There has been

200-485: A "drame burlesque" ( Matroco , 1777). Stravinsky called his 1916 one-act chamber opera-ballet Renard ( The Fox ) a "Histoire burlesque chantée et jouée" ( burlesque tale sung and played ) and his 1911 ballet Petrushka a "burlesque in four scenes". A later example is the 1927 burlesque operetta by Ernst Krenek entitled Schwergewicht ( Heavyweight ) (1927). Some orchestral and chamber works have also been designated as burlesques, of which two early examples are

250-505: A combination of both. Caricatures of politicians are commonly used in newspapers and news magazines as political cartoons , while caricatures of movie stars are often found in entertainment magazines . In literature, a caricature is a distorted representation of a person in a way that exaggerates some characteristics and oversimplifies others. The term is derived for the Italian caricare —to charge or load. An early definition occurs in

300-600: A grotesque imitation of the dignified or pathetic. Shakespeare 's Pyramus and Thisbe scene in Midsummer Night's Dream and the general mocking of romance in Beaumont and Fletcher's The Knight of the Burning Pestle were early examples of such imitation. In 17th century Spain, playwright and poet Miguel de Cervantes ridiculed medieval romance in his many satirical works. Among Cervantes' works are Exemplary Novels and

350-622: A humorous caricature sketched in a few minutes for a small fee. Caricature artists can sometimes be hired for parties, where they will draw caricatures of the guests for their entertainment. There are numerous museums dedicated to caricature throughout the world, including the Museo de la Caricatura of Mexico City , the Muzeum Karykatury in Warsaw , the Caricatura Museum Frankfurt ,

400-418: A master of ceremonies. Comics who appeared in burlesque early in their careers included Fanny Brice , Mae West , Eddie Cantor , Abbott and Costello , W. C. Fields , Jackie Gleason , Danny Thomas , Al Jolson , Bert Lahr , Phil Silvers , Sid Caesar , Danny Kaye , Red Skelton and Sophie Tucker . The uninhibited atmosphere of burlesque establishments owed much to the free flow of alcoholic liquor, and

450-473: A recognizable individual (much as originally used to describe the works of Pier Leone Ghezzi ), while the more recent term 'cartoon', popularised in the 19th century from its use in Punch magazine, is used for any other form of comic image, including political satire. Some of the earliest caricatures are found in the works of Leonardo da Vinci , who actively sought people with deformities to use as models. The point

500-960: A revival of burlesque, sometimes called Neo-Burlesque , on both sides of the Atlantic. A new generation, nostalgic for the spectacle and perceived glamour of the classic American burlesque, developed a cult following for the art in the early 1990s at Billie Madley's "Cinema" and later at the "Dutch Weismann's Follies" revues in New York City, "The Velvet Hammer" troupe in Los Angeles and The Shim-Shamettes in New Orleans. Ivan Kane's Royal Jelly Burlesque Nightclub at Revel Atlantic City opened in 2012. Notable Neo-burlesque performers include Dita Von Teese , and Julie Atlas Muz and Agitprop groups like Cabaret Red Light incorporated political satire and performance art into their burlesque shows. Annual conventions such as

550-447: A system proposed by Akleman et al. provides warping tools specifically designed toward rapidly producing caricatures. There are very few software programs designed specifically for automatically creating caricatures. Computer graphic system requires quite different skill sets to design a caricature as compared to the caricatures created on paper. Thus, using a computer in the digital production of caricatures requires advanced knowledge of

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600-664: A valuable tool for political campaigning and both Gillray and Rowlandson established their reputations as caricaturists working as 'hired guns' in the 1784 Westminster election . Their skills continued to be in high demand; in the turbulent period of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars caricature became an increasingly important communication medium. Gillray became the leading political caricaturist of his time, famous across Europe, while Rowlandson's vast output used caricature for both political and social caricature and for comic book illustration. Published from 1868 to 1914,

650-611: Is derived from the Middle English dogerel , probably a derivative of dog . In English, it has been used as an adjective since the 14th century and a noun since at least 1630. Appearing since ancient times in the literatures of many cultures, doggerel is characteristic of nursery rhymes and children's song . The Scottish poet William McGonagall (1825–1902) has become famous for his doggerel, which many remember with affection despite its seeming technical flaws, as in his poem " The Tay Bridge Disaster ": Oh! Ill-fated bridge of

700-492: Is in order – or the art can be employed to make a serious social or political point. A caricaturist draws on (1) the natural characteristics of the subject (the big ears, long nose, etc.); (2) the acquired characteristics (stoop, scars, facial lines etc.); and (3) the vanities (choice of hair style, spectacles, clothes, expressions, and mannerisms). There have been some efforts to produce caricatures automatically or semi-automatically using computer graphics techniques. For example,

750-418: Is still performed in revues and sketches . Tom Stoppard 's 1974 play Travesties is an example of a full-length play drawing on the burlesque tradition. Beginning in the early 18th century, the term burlesque was used throughout Europe to describe musical works in which serious and comic elements were juxtaposed or combined to achieve a grotesque effect. As derived from literature and theatre, "burlesque"

800-485: The Eight Comedies and Eight New Interludes published in 1615. The term burlesque has been applied retrospectively to works of Chaucer and Shakespeare and to the Graeco-Roman classics. Burlesque was intentionally ridiculous in that it imitated several styles and combined imitations of certain authors and artists with absurd descriptions. In this, the term was often used interchangeably with " pastiche ", " parody ", and

850-595: The Vancouver International Burlesque Festival and the Miss Exotic World Pageant are held. Caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon ). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, and can serve a political purpose, be drawn solely for entertainment, or for

900-754: The Wilhelm Busch Museum in Hanover and the Cartoonmuseum in Basel . The first museum of caricature in the Arab world was opened in March, 2009, at Fayoum , Egypt. Doggerel Doggerel , or doggrel, is poetry that is irregular in rhythm and in rhyme , often deliberately for burlesque or comic effect. Alternatively, it can mean verse which has a monotonous rhythm, easy rhyme, and cheap or trivial meaning. The word

950-458: The sextet , 'Chi mi frena in tal momento?', from Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti . Victorian burlesque, sometimes known as "travesty" or " extravaganza ", was popular in London theatres between the 1830s and the 1890s. It took the form of musical theatre parody in which a well-known opera, play or ballet was adapted into a broad comic play, usually a musical play, often risqué in style, mocking

1000-505: The "Rondo-Burleske" third movement of Symphony No. 9 by Mahler , and the "Burlesque" fourth movement of Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 . The use of burlesque has not been confined to classical music. Well-known ragtime travesties include Russian Rag , by George L. Cobb , which is based on Rachmaninoff 's Prelude in C-sharp minor , and Harry Alford 's Lucy's Sextette based on

1050-449: The 17th and 18th century genre of the " mock-heroic ". Burlesque depended on the reader's (or listener's) knowledge of the subject to make its intended effect, and a high degree of literacy was taken for granted. 17th and 18th century burlesque was divided into two types: High burlesque refers to a burlesque imitation where a literary, elevated manner was applied to a commonplace or comically inappropriate subject matter as, for example, in

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1100-490: The 18th century, because of England's liberal political traditions, relative freedom of speech, and burgeoning publishing industry, London was a hot bed for the development of modern forms of caricature. William Hogarth (1697–1764) elevated satirical art into an accepted art form and a succeeding generation of talented artists including names such as James Gillray (1757–1815), Thomas Rowlandson (1756–1827) and Isaac Cruikshank (1757–1815) advanced it further. Caricature became

1150-547: The English doctor Thomas Browne 's Christian Morals , published posthumously in 1716. Expose not thy self by four-footed manners unto monstrous draughts, and Caricatura representations. with the footnote: When Men's faces are drawn with resemblance to some other Animals, the Italians call it, to be drawn in Caricatura Thus, the word "caricature" essentially means a "loaded portrait". In 18th-century usage, 'caricature'

1200-604: The Lock and Samuel Butler 's Hudibras . An example of musical burlesque is Richard Strauss 's 1890 Burleske for piano and orchestra . Examples of theatrical burlesques include W. S. Gilbert 's Robert the Devil and the A. C. Torr – Meyer Lutz shows, including Ruy Blas and the Blasé Roué . A later use of the term, particularly in the United States , refers to performances in

1250-460: The London weekly magazine Vanity Fair became famous for its caricatures of famous people in society. In a lecture titled The History and Art of Caricature , the British caricaturist Ted Harrison said that the caricaturist can choose to either mock or wound the subject with an effective caricature. Drawing caricatures can simply be a form of entertainment and amusement – in which case gentle mockery

1300-689: The Ouverture-Suite Burlesque de Quixotte , TWV 55, by Telemann and the Sinfonia Burlesca by Leopold Mozart (1760). Another often-performed piece is Richard Strauss 's 1890 Burleske for piano and orchestra . Other examples include the following: Burlesque can be used to describe particular movements of instrumental musical compositions, often involving dance rhythms. Examples are the Burlesca, in Partita No. 3 for keyboard (BWV 827) by Bach ,

1350-408: The addition of gags and 'turns'." In the early burlesques, following the example of ballad opera , the words of the songs were written to popular music; later burlesques mixed the music of opera , operetta , music hall and revue , and some of the more ambitious shows had original music composed for them. This English style of burlesque was successfully introduced to New York in the 1840s. Some of

1400-459: The audience would readily recognize. The house stars included Nellie Farren , John D'Auban , Edward Terry and Fred Leslie . From about 1880, Victorian burlesques grew longer, until they were a whole evening's entertainment rather than part of a double- or triple-bill. In the early 1890s, these burlesques went out of fashion in London, and the focus of the Gaiety and other burlesque theatres changed to

1450-408: The average person, in his caricature the ears will be much larger than normal. Brennan's system implemented this idea in a partially automated fashion as follows: the operator was required to input a frontal drawing of the desired person having a standardized topology (the number and ordering of lines for every face). She obtained a corresponding drawing of an average male face. Then, the particular face

1500-571: The early 20th century, there were two national circuits of burlesque shows competing with the vaudeville circuit, as well as resident companies in New York, such as Minsky's at the Winter Garden. The transition from burlesque on the old lines to striptease was gradual. At first, soubrettes showed off their figures while singing and dancing; some were less active but compensated by appearing in elaborate stage costumes. The strippers gradually supplanted

1550-635: The enforcement of Prohibition was a serious blow. In New York, Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia clamped down on burlesque, effectively putting it out of business by the early 1940s. It lingered on elsewhere in the US, increasingly neglected, and by the 1970s, with nudity commonplace in theatres, reached "its final shabby demise." Both during its declining years and afterwards there have been films that sought to capture American burlesque, including Lady of Burlesque (1943), Striporama (1953), and The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968). In recent decades, there has been

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1600-487: The first book on caricature drawing to be published in England was Mary Darly's A Book of Caricaturas ( c.  1762 ), the first known North American caricatures were drawn in 1759 during the battle for Quebec. These caricatures were the work of Brig.-Gen. George Townshend whose caricatures of British General James Wolfe , depicted as "Deformed and crass and hideous" (Snell), were drawn to amuse fellow officers. In

1650-569: The literary parody and the mock-heroic . One of the most commonly cited examples of high burlesque is Alexander Pope 's "sly, knowing and courtly" The Rape of the Lock . Low burlesque applied an irreverent, mocking style to a serious subject; an example is Samuel Butler 's poem Hudibras , which described the misadventures of a Puritan knight in satiric doggerel verse, using a colloquial idiom. Butler's addition to his comic poem of an ethical subtext made his caricatures into satire . In more recent times, burlesque true to its literary origins

1700-479: The most frequent subjects for burlesque were the plays of Shakespeare and grand opera. The dialogue was generally written in rhyming couplets, liberally peppered with bad puns . A typical example from a burlesque of Macbeth : Macbeth and Banquo enter under an umbrella, and the witches greet them with "Hail! hail! hail!" Macbeth asks Banquo, "What mean these salutations, noble thane?" and is told, "These showers of 'Hail' anticipate your 'reign ' ". A staple of burlesque

1750-413: The new more wholesome but less literary genre of Edwardian musical comedy . American burlesque shows were originally an offshoot of Victorian burlesque. The English genre had been successfully staged in New York from the 1840s, and it was popularised by a visiting British burlesque troupe, Lydia Thompson and the "British Blondes", beginning in 1868. New York burlesque shows soon incorporated elements and

1800-440: The other hand, Liang et al. argue that caricature varies depending on the artist and cannot be captured in a single definition. Their system uses machine learning techniques to automatically learn and mimic the style of a particular caricature artist, given training data in the form of a number of face photographs and the corresponding caricatures by that artist. The results produced by computer graphic systems are arguably not yet of

1850-463: The political and public-figure satire, most contemporary caricatures are used as gifts or souvenirs, often drawn by street vendors. For a small fee, a caricature can be drawn specifically (and quickly) for a patron. These are popular at street fairs, carnivals, and even weddings, often with humorous results. Caricature artists are also popular attractions at many places frequented by tourists, especially oceanfront boardwalks , where vacationers can have

1900-400: The population variance of the feature should be taken into account. For example, the distance between the eyes varies less than other features, such as the size of the nose. Thus even a small variation in the eye spacing is unusual and should be exaggerated, whereas a correspondingly small change in the nose size relative to the mean would not be unusual enough to be worthy of exaggeration. On

1950-485: The program's functionality. Rather than being a simpler method of caricature creation, it can be a more complex method of creating images that feature finer coloring textures than can be created using more traditional methods. A milestone in formally defining caricature was Susan Brennan's master's thesis in 1982. In her system, caricature was formalized as the process of exaggerating differences from an average face. For example, if Charles III has more prominent ears than

2000-472: The same quality as those produced by human artists. For example, most systems are restricted to exactly frontal poses, whereas many or even most manually produced caricatures (and face portraits in general) choose an off-center "three-quarters" view. Brennan's caricature drawings were frontal-pose line drawings. More recent systems can produce caricatures in a variety of styles, including direct geometric distortion of photographs. Brennan's caricature generator

2050-421: The silv'ry Tay, I now must conclude my lay By telling the world fearlessly without the least dismay, That your central girders would not have given way, At least many sensible men do say, Had they been supported on each side with buttresses, At least many sensible men confesses, For the stronger we our houses do build, The less chance we have of being killed. Hip hop lyrics have also explored

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2100-424: The singing and dancing soubrettes; by 1932 there were at least 150 strip principals in the US. Star strippers included Sally Rand , Gypsy Rose Lee , Tempest Storm , Lili St. Cyr , Blaze Starr , Ann Corio and Margie Hart , who was celebrated enough to be mentioned in song lyrics by Lorenz Hart and Cole Porter . By the late 1930s, burlesque shows would have up to six strippers supported by one or two comics and

2150-511: The structure of the popular minstrel shows . They consisted of three parts: first, songs and ribald comic sketches by low comedians; second, assorted olios and male acts, such as acrobats, magicians and solo singers; and third, chorus numbers and sometimes a burlesque in the English style on politics or a current play. The entertainment was usually concluded by an exotic dancer or a wrestling or boxing match. The entertainments were given in clubs and cabarets, as well as music halls and theatres. By

2200-732: The theatrical and musical conventions and styles of the original work, and quoting or pastiching text or music from the original work. The comedy often stemmed from the incongruity and absurdity of the classical subjects, with realistic historical dress and settings, being juxtaposed with the modern activities portrayed by the actors. Madame Vestris produced burlesques at the Olympic Theatre beginning in 1831 with Olympic Revels by J. R. Planché . Other authors of burlesques included H. J. Byron , G. R. Sims , F. C. Burnand , W. S. Gilbert and Fred Leslie . Victorian burlesque related to and in part derived from traditional English pantomime "with

2250-410: Was caricatured simply by subtracting from the particular face the corresponding point on the mean face (the origin being placed in the middle of the face), scaling this difference by a factor larger than one, and adding the scaled difference back onto the mean face. Though Brennan's formalization was introduced in the 1980s, it remains relevant in recent work. Mo et al. refined the idea by noting that

2300-525: Was the display of attractive women in travesty roles , dressed in tights to show off their legs, but the plays themselves were seldom more than modestly risqué. Burlesque became the speciality of certain London theatres, including the Gaiety and Royal Strand Theatre from the 1860s to the early 1890s. Until the 1870s, burlesques were often one-act pieces running less than an hour and using pastiches and parodies of popular songs, opera arias and other music that

2350-693: Was to offer an impression of the original which was more striking than a portrait. Caricature became popular in European aristocratic circles, notably through the works of the Italian Rococo artist Pier Leone Ghezzi . Caricature portraits were passed around for mutual enjoyment. and the fashion spread to Britain from visitors returning from the Grand Tour ; the much greater freedom of the press in England allowed its use in biting political satire and furthered its development as an art form in its own right. While

2400-480: Was used for any image that made use of exaggerated or distorted features; thus both for comic portraits of specific people and for general social and political comic illustrations such as the satires of James Gillray , Thomas Rowlandson and many others. The title of the British Caricature Magazine (1807-1819) exemplifies this usage. In modern usage, 'caricature' is used predominantly for a portrait of

2450-424: Was used to test recognition of caricatures. Rhodes, Brennan and Carey demonstrated that caricatures were recognised more accurately than the original images. They used line drawn images but Benson and Perrett showed similar effects with photographic quality images. Explanations for this advantage have been based on both norm-based theories of face recognition and exemplar-based theories of face recognition. Beside

2500-733: Was used, and is still used, in music to indicate a bright or high-spirited mood, sometimes in contrast to seriousness. In this sense of farce and exaggeration rather than parody, it appears frequently on the German-language stage between the middle of the 19th century and the 1920s. Burlesque operettas were written by Johann Strauss II ( Die lustigen Weiber von Wien , 1868), Ziehrer ( Mahomed's Paradies , 1866; Das Orakel zu Delfi , 1872; Cleopatra, oder Durch drei Jahrtausende , 1875; In fünfzig Jahren , 1911) and Bruno Granichstaedten ( Casimirs Himmelfahrt , 1911). French references to burlesque are less common than German, though Grétry composed for

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