Plate 11: Bertoldino falling into the fish pond, from "Bertoldo, Bertoldino, and Cacasenno" 1705 - 1715

Giuseppe Maria Crespi etched this plate, one of many, to illustrate the adventures of Bertoldino. Here we find the protagonist suspended mid-air, having tumbled from the bridge into the fish pond below. Circling him, a flurry of birds accentuates the disarray of the scene. Note the recurring motif of the fall, an archetypal image echoing the expulsion from Paradise. Similarly, the birds here are not mere decoration; they invoke a sense of freedom lost, a poignant reminder of Bertoldino's plummet. We see the motif of the fall recur in myriad forms across cultures, whether in depictions of Icarus or Lucifer. The involuntary nature of the fall evokes a loss of control, stirring deep-seated fears within us. Bertoldino’s wide-eyed expression engages us on a visceral level. This imagery speaks to a collective memory of instability and the fear of the unknown, reminding us that the symbols of art are not static but exist in a continuous, transformative dance across time.