Among the many engravings that exist on the theme of magic, there is one that stands out for its richness: The Fall of the Magician Hermogenes. Engraved by Pieter Van Heyden after a drawing by Pieter Brueghel, this engraving is almost half a millennium old, dating back to 1565!
On the left of the image, we can indeed see a thimblerigger, placing a nutmeg under one of the cups. Beside him, we see a creature performing the knife-through-the-nose trick
Let's go down a bit, and admire Brueghel's version of the talking decapitation! We can see in the engraving a severed head placed on a plate, with the rest of the body lying on the table. Next to the table, we see a little imp piercing his spear and hand with blades.
We could continue to analyze every corner of this engraving, so rich it is, but let's finish with the presence of new cups at the bottom right of the image, still with their nutmegs.
Given these many magical effects, which are explicit references to the magic of the time, one might wonder if the artist, Pieter Brueghel, was himself a magician. In any case, it is certain that he had knowledge of the world of magic, as the details are so precise and accurate. Take the example of "the beheading of Saint John the Baptist" (the name of the talking decapitation effect). This effect is already described in Reginald Scot's book Discoverie of Witchcraft in 1584. Compare for yourself the engraving explaining the method (left) and the detail of Pieter Brueghel's drawing (right). You will notice the presence of a tablecloth to hide the secret of the trick, and a plate for the head; the engraving is almost a copy-paste!
In the same year as Reginald Scot's book, Prevost's La première partie des subtiles et plaisantes inventions was published in France. In this book, among other things, one finds the explanation of the knife-through-the-arm trick exactly as it is depicted in this engraving
All these elements point to a precise knowledge of magic tricks by the author of the engraving, making it even more interesting. The drawing still holds many secrets and interesting details to mention, can you spot them?
