The Fall of the Magician

Pieter van der Heyden, after Pieter Bruegel the Elder

National Gallery of Art

This print is filled with fantastical creatures and distorted human figures that seem to tumble down into the scene from above. Some of these creatures have recognizable elements like faces, animal features, or clothing items, while others are contorted and unrecognizable. They seem to be causing chaos, some brandishing weapons or instruments and others doing somersaults or walking on their hands. On the right, several people stand together under an arched wall, looking in on the scene. At the front is a person with a halo, holding a long staff and lifting one hand up. On the left, a person sits among the creatures behind a table with small balls and cups stacked on it. In the bottom left corner, the body of a person is on a table. At the end of the table is a long sword and a decapitated head on a plate. There is a line of text at the bottom of the print.