Plate 18: Cacasenno on horseback, from "Bertoldo, Bertoldino, and Cacasenno"
1705–15
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 8 7/8 × 5 15/16 in. (22.5 × 15.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.535.18
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the whimsical world of Giuseppe Maria Crespi's *Plate 18: Cacasenno on horseback*, etching from his celebrated illustration series for the Italian picaresque tale *Bertoldo, Bertoldino, and Cenno* (1705–15). Crespi, a masterful Bolognese artist of the late Baroque era, was renowned for his lively genre scenes, caricatural flair, and ability to infuse everyday folly with dramatic energy, drawing from the Carracci legacy. This print captures a humorous moment from the adventures of the bumbling Cacasenno, a dim-witted yet endearing character in the satirical novel by Giovanni Francesco Straparola and later popularizers, poking fun at human folly during Italy's vibrant literary scene. Created as an etching—a technique Crespi wielded with exquisite precision for intricate lines and tonal depth—the 8 7/8 × 5 15/16 in. sheet highlights the dynamic interplay between rider and horse. The horse, a recurring motif in Baroque art symbolizing power and motion, here becomes a comedic partner in Cacasenno's mishaps, rendered with Crespi's signature expressive strokes that convey both vigor and absurdity. Etchings like this made high art accessible, fueling the 18th-century print boom. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Elisha Whittelsey Collection, 1953), this work exemplifies how Crespi bridged painting and printmaking, preserving the cultural charm of Italian commedia traditions for modern audiences. A delightful glimpse into Baroque wit!
About the Artist
Giuseppe Maria Crespi · 1665–1747
Giuseppe Maria Crespi (1665–1747) was an Italian painter of the late Baroque period whose innovative genre scenes and unorthodox approach to religious painting made him one of the most original artists of early eighteenth-century Bologna. Born in Bologna, he trained under Domenico Maria Canuti, Carlo Cignani, and in the tradition of the Carracci academy, but developed a markedly personal style tha...