Herr Cornelius Guttmann Zechmeister, Pl. 25
1710-1719
Imagine being the punchline of a 300-year-old joke! In this satirical engraving by Elias Baeck, a poor man named Cornelius is literally burdened by his bad luck. He sports giant goat horns—the classic European symbol for a cuckold (a man whose wife is cheating on him)—and carries a heavy basket on his back containing a smug passenger, likely the 'brother-in-law' or lover mentioned in the German text. The elaborate frame is filled with mocking, grotesque faces, and at the very bottom, a street peddler displays this very print for sale, proving that public shaming and gossip were popular entertainment long before the internet.
- Technique
- engraving
Views: 3