Poor Henry consults a doctor in Salerno about his leprosy: they sit opposite each other in the doctor's study while the doctor explains his remedy. Aquatint by F. Hegi, 1810.

  • Hegi, Franz, 1774-1850.
Date:
[1810]
Reference:
35716i
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Description

An episode in the German narrative poem Der arme Heinrich by Hartmann von Aue (Ouwe). The nobleman Heinrich von Ouwe is afflicted with leprosy. He consults a physician in Salerno who tells him that he can only be cured by blood from the heart of a virgin who sacrifices herself for him. In a later episode Heinrich refuses that condition at the last minute before the physician cuts out the heart of a virgin, but is healed by a miracle. Here Heinrich (right) consults the medical expert (left) in the latter's study. A book which the physician was copying in his scriptorium contains works by Galen ("Galenus"). A stuffed crocodile hangs from the ceiling on the right. The furniture and costumes are mediaevalising

Publication/Creation

[Zürich] : [Orell Füssli], [1810]

Physical description

1 print : aquatint, with etching ; sheet 10 x 6 cm

Lettering

Fr. Hegi del. et sculp. Bears number: S.4

Edition

[Appenzeller's state II of 3, with "S.4" as originally published in the Taschenbuch Iris].

References note

Heinrich Appenzeller, Der Kupferstecher Franz Hegi von Zürich, 1774-1850: sein Leben und seine Werke; beschreibendes Verzeichnis seiner sämtlichen Kupferstiche, Zürich: H. Appenzeller, 1906, p. 180, no. 886 ("5 Bl. für 1810 zu 'Der arme Heinrich' von Hartmann von Ouwe. Aquat. Ohne Titel. Unten links: «Fr. Hegi del. et sculp. … 886. Die Konsultation, Titelkupfer. In der Apotheke des berühmten Arztes in Salern, an deren Zimmerdecke ein Krokodil hängt, sitzt rechts in einem gotischen Stuhle der mit dem Aussatz behaftete Herr Heinrich. Der links neben ihm sitzende Arzt hält den Fall für schwer und erklärt, nur das Herzblut eines liebenden Mädchens könne ihm Genesung bringen.")
Gerhard Eis, 'Salernitanisches und Unsalernitanisches im "Armen Heinrich" des Hartmann von Aue', Forschungen und Fortschritte, 1957, 31(3), pp. 77–81

Reference

Wellcome Collection 35716i

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