Il medico
1650 - 1669
Gerrit Dou, a star pupil of Rembrandt, captures a 17th-century doctor performing a 'water inspection'—holding a flask of urine up to the light to diagnose an illness. This wasn't just gross; it was cutting-edge medicine at the time! Notice the incredible detail in the patterned rug and the skeleton diagram in the open book, hallmarks of Dou's 'fine painting' style where every brushstroke is nearly invisible. The scene is framed like a window into a private study, complete with a stone relief of playful cherubs below, contrasting the serious medical examination above.
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