Bertoldino Whipping Himself to Kill Flies

c. 1710/1715

Giuseppe Maria Crespi and Ludovico Mattioli

Associated Names
Giuseppe Maria Crespi

Artist, Bolognese, 1665 - 1747

Ludovico Mattioli

Artist, Italian, 1662 - 1747

The image shows a cherubic child figure standing with one arm raised and the other holding a small broom-like object. The child is positioned with one foot lifted as if beginning to take a step. The face is plump with round cheeks, and short, curly hair. The child appears to be unclothed. Surrounding the child, in the background, there is a brick wall with a garment draped over it, and a few flying insects dot the air. There is also a tree with broad leaves growing nearby, and hilly terrain can be seen in the distance. The sky is depicted with soft lines indicating clouds.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    William B. O'Neal Fund

  • Dimensions

    plate: 22.8 × 14.7 cm (9 × 5 13/16 in.)
    sheet: 31 × 19.6 cm (12 3/16 × 7 11/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2020.43.12

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Bartsch 1802 - 1821, no. 34

  • Series Title

    Bertoldo, Bertoldino, e Cacasenno (plate 12)

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Enrico Cortona, Milan); purchased 2020 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2018

  • Sense of Humor: Caricature, Satire, and the Comical in Prints and Drawings from Leonardo to the Present, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2018 - 2019.

Bibliography

1802

  • Bartsch, Adam. Le peintre graveur. 21 vols. Vienna, 1802-1821: no. 34.

2014

  • Riccòmini, Marco. Giuseppe Maria Crespi, I disegni e le stampe, catalogo ragionato. Turin, 2014: no. GMC.28.

Watermarks

W d encircled with three-leaf clover shape beneath

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