A painter named Schmierpinsel is at an award-winning ceremony. In his absence, Casperl, his servant, pretends to be the painter to a lady who wants to have her portrait made. Casperl takes a down payment, then paints a donkey’s head and hits the outraged woman with the canvas. Upon his return, Schmierpinsel is called at the police station. After his statement, the police chief, Karrnpichler, interrogates Casperl. The latter smears paint on the police chief's face before throwing him out.

String marionette

Young audiences

Pocci Franz von

Germany

Munich

Printed

Portrait

Painting

Artist

Originality

Genius

Cheekiness

Slap

Prestige

Stammering

Outrage

Drink

Wine

Beer

Interrogation

Tavern

Farcical

Satirical

German

Ein malerisches Lustspiel

Kasperl

Lady

Commissioner

Monologue

Song

Parody of formal language

Word for another

Brawl

Address to the public

Comic stuttering

Casperl als Porträtmaler

Casperl portrait painter

The rich Cassandre, desperate for his foolish and insolent son Pierrot, is prepared to hire a very expensive tutor. Polichinelle is hired, but his bad lessons in obedience, geography, arithmetic, morals and fencing immediately turn Pierrot into a brawler, drinker, liar and thief who ends up being hanged for swindling Arlequin, the cabaret owner. When Cassandra complains to Polichinelle, he kills him with a stick. Denounced by Arlequin as Pierrot's accomplice, Polichinelle kills the gendarme who came to arrest him. He is taken away by the Devil.

Glove-puppet

All audiences

France

Paris

Duranty Louis Émile Edmond

Relationship between father and son

Silliness

Education

Lesson

Swindling

Hanging

Comical

French

Polichinelle

Pierrot

Arlecchino

Gendarme

Devil

Slaps

Blow-with-a-stick

Headbutt

Final intervention of the devil

Hanging scene

Polichinelle précepteur

Polichinelle preceptor