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A surgeon in his workroom extracing stones from a man's head; symbolising the expulsion of 'folly' (insanity). Gouache painting by Ginsle (?), 1806, after G. Dou.

  • Dou, Gerard, 1613-1675.
Reference
21129i
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view A surgeon in his workroom extracing stones from a man's head; symbolising the expulsion of 'folly' (insanity). Gouache painting by Ginsle (?), 1806, after G. Dou.
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Credit: A surgeon in his workroom extracing stones from a man's head; symbolising the expulsion of 'folly' (insanity). Gouache painting by Ginsle (?), 1806, after G. Dou. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain Mark

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About this work

Description

Pictures of a surgeon making an incision in a patient's head in order to extract 'stones' (implying madness in the individual) do not represent an actual operation, but are allegorical scenes refering to the subduction of 'folly' (madness) from the body. See further: W. Schupbach, 'A new look at The cure of folly', Medical history, 1978, vol. 22, pp. 267-281

Physical description

1 painting : gouache on ivory (?)

Contributors

Lettering

Ginsle [?] pinx 1806.

References note

C. Hofstede de Groot, A catalogue raisonné of the works of the most eminent Dutch painters of the seventeenth century, vol. 1, London 1908, Gerard Dou no. 149, p. 395 (on panel 11½ x 9½ ins., "in the collection of W. Ritter, Val de Ruz, near Neufchâtel")

Reference

Wellcome Library no. 21129i

Reproduction note

After: a painting by Gerrit Dou, formerly in the possession of Wilhelm Ritter (1847-1906), Val de Ruz, near Neuchâtel (Hofstede de Groot, loc. cit.)

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