ABSTRACT
Francesco Bertelli’s seventeenth-century book of engravings, Il Carnevale italiano mascherato: Qui si veggono in figura varie invention di capritii … (The Masked Italian Carnival: In which figures of various inventive caprices are seen …) (Venice, 1642) provides many whimsical images of commedia dell' arte. The characters “Covielo” (Coviello), “Burratin” (Burratino), “Pulsinella” (Pulcinella), “Mezetino” (Mezzetino), the “Magnificho” (Magnifico, also known as Pantalone) and the “zanne” (zanni) all populate the pages of this book with their physicality, exaggerated expressions and characteristic masks. Among the images is also one that is less familiar to students of commedia dell' arte, labeled “Maschare da ebrei” (mask of the Jews). 2 (See Figure 4.1.) In this image, two figures meant to represent Jews are facing one and other. One of the figures appears to be looking at a book on which is written “1 2 3 4.” The other figure also has a book, upon which is noted the number 1610, possibly indicating the year in which the image was originally drawn. The two figures are represented in exaggerated, grotesque fashion; each has a very large, exaggerated nose – like the commedia dell' arte zanni character of Coviello, but larger – and both have exaggerated, plaintive eyebrows. The image catches these figures in action: they face each other with open mouths, suggesting that they are in the middle of talking to each other, singing, dancing or perhaps praying. The figures each have on a fringed scarf that may be made to resemble a traditional Jewish prayer shawl or tallit. They are wearing hats, and both are masked and have pompons on the stockings they wear on their legs. We do not know if they are Jewish actors depicting the Jewish masked figures. More likely, since the engraving is titled “maschare,” we can assume that this is a masked performance of the Jewish type, exaggerating features into a comic stereotype.
