Plate 5: Bertoldo putting the jailor into the sack, from "Bertoldo, Bertoldino, and Cacasenno" 1705 - 1715

Giuseppe Maria Crespi created this etching, Plate 5 from "Bertoldo, Bertoldino, and Cacasenno," at an unknown date. It’s part of a series illustrating a popular comedic novel, offering us a window into the social entertainment of 17th and 18th-century Italy. Here, we see Bertoldo, the clever peasant, outwitting a jailor by stuffing him into a sack. Crespi uses a simple, direct style, typical of popular prints, emphasizing clarity over artistic flourish. The humor relies on the subversion of authority, a theme that resonated with a broad audience facing rigid social hierarchies. Prints like these weren't just entertainment, but were also a form of social commentary. They reflect a culture where laughter could be a tool for critiquing power. To fully understand this image, one could research the history of comedic traditions in Italian art, the role of popular literature, and the social dynamics between peasants and authority figures during Crespi's time. Art history is about situating such works within their specific cultural and institutional contexts.