The Sick Woman
c. 1663 - c. 1666
Jan Steen loved painting chaotic, humorous scenes with hidden meanings, and this one is a perfect example of his wit. At first glance, it looks like a doctor is visiting a sick woman, but look closely at the lute hanging on the wall—it's a classic Dutch symbol for lovesickness! The woman isn't physically ill; she's pining away for love, and the 'doctor' is probably just a clueless physician missing the obvious. Steen was a master of these playful moral tales, often hiding little jokes in plain sight for his 17th-century audience to decode.
Location: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
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