The quack
1650 - 1660
Jan Steen captures the chaotic energy of a village square where a traveling charlatan is busy selling his dubious medical services. Standing proudly on a makeshift stage, the doctor holds up a small object—perhaps a freshly pulled tooth or a miracle cure—while a poor patient grimaces in the chair. The scene is packed with gullible onlookers, a donkey carrying a family, and even a monkey perched on the roof, likely mocking the foolishness of the crowd. In the foreground, a woman pushes a wheelbarrow with a sick child, hinting that this 'doctor's' previous treatments might not have been so effective!
Location: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
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