Artwork
The Village Physician
The Village Physician is an oil painting. It dates from 1655 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
These objects visually construct the scene of a village doctor or quack, grounding the work's meaning in the depiction of medical practice and deception.
The Village Physician, painted in 1655, is a portrait that centers on a man identified as a charlatan. The composition includes specific iconographic elements such as a bottle and a laboratory flask, which serve as attributes defining the sitter's role. These objects visually construct the scene of a village doctor or quack, grounding the work's meaning in the depiction of medical practice and deception.
Technique & Style
The Village Physician is an oil painting on panel created in 1655. Executed in the style of the circle of David Teniers, it depicts a man holding a bottle and laboratory flask, reflecting genre scenes of charlatanry. Measuring 21 cm in height by 16.5 cm in width, the work was owned by Heinrich von Brühl and is part of the Hermitage Museum collection.
History & Provenance
The Village Physician is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. The work was previously owned by Heinrich von Brühl before entering the museum's holdings. No specific inventory or accession numbers are provided in the available sources, nor is there any documented exhibition history for this painting within the referenced materials.
Context
The work belongs to the portrait genre and forms part of the broader corpus of Dutch Golden Age painting. It is attributed to the circle of David Teniers and depicts a man with a bottle and laboratory flask, reflecting contemporary interest in medical practice. The Hermitage Museum holds the piece, which was previously owned by Heinrich von Brühl.
Overview
The work, titled The Village Physician, is an oil painting that portrays a solitary figure in a brown coat and a fur‑trimmed hat. He holds a small glass bottle in one hand while gesturing with the other, his round, flushed face illuminated against a dimly lit interior. A table behind him bears several jars, a flask and assorted implements, suggesting a setting of medical or alchemical activity.
Artist & collection
