1712
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Bertoldo with a Sieve on His Head is a 1712 ink by Giuseppe Maria Crespi, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows a man carrying a large sieve on his head while holding a basket in one hand. He’s dressed in simple clothes and walks along a path near a tree and some bushes. The background has wavy lines, maybe for wind or movement. The text below the image is in Italian and seems to play on the idea of the man’s struggle—carrying something heavy that doesn’t make sense. The artist used a technique that lets the lines look sharp and detailed. Next, check out etching to see how artists like Crespi made prints like this.
Giuseppe Maria Crespi (14 March 1665 – 16 July 1747), nicknamed Lo Spagnuolo ('The Spaniard'), was an Italian late Baroque painter of the Bolognese School.
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