The Surgeon
Artist
Lucas van Leyden
(Netherlandish, ca. 1494 - 1533)
Date1524
MediumEngraving
DimensionsOverall: 4 5/8 × 2 7/8 inches (11.76 × 7.29 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust
Object number33-483
On View
Not on viewCollections
Gallery LabelAt first glance, this engraving appears to be a straightforward representation of a patient undergoing a surgical procedure. Various details, however, signal that this scene contains a satirical and moralizing message. The surgeon’s fur-lined robe and heavy purse identify him as a quack focused on financial gain. In contrast, the victim sitting at the surgeon’s feet wears tattered clothing, indicating that he has little money to spare.
With Alden Galleries, Kansas City, MO, by July 19, 1933;
Purchased from Alden Galleries by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1933.
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![[Self-] Portrait of Lucas van Leyden](/internal/media/dispatcher/19252/thumbnail)
