A woman lies in bed, lovesick (representing the Netherlands); attendants try to raise her spirits by showing her a portrait of the newly appointed Stadholder, William III Prince of Orange (subsequently William III King of England). Engraving, ca. 1672.

Impression catalogued imperfect at top. Muller's interpretation (loc. cit.) is paraphrased as follows. The Netherlandish maid lies on a bed, illuminated by the sun's rays descending from above. On her right stands one of her sisters (the province of Zeeland?), who offers her fruit and takes her pulse. On her left is a doctor from The Hague (a very accurate portrait of Constantijn Huygens), who points to the portrait of Prince Willem III. Beyond the portrait stand the maids of the six other provinces. Left foreground, a woman representing Religion (with a book labelled "Religio") weeping over the corruption of the Netherlands. Centre, a lion representing the United Provinces of the Netherlands. Not mentioned by Muller: two paintings on the back wall, one of "Boete der Nineviten" (penitence of the Ninevites: book of Jonah, cap. 3), the other of a man shaking hands with a woman

The sick woman wears a bonnet similar to those worn by lovesick women in paintings by Jan Steen. The showing of a picture of the beloved to the lovesick woman is also a theme found in paintings, and may be derived from the story of Antiochus and Stratonice

[The Netherlands] : [publisher not identified], [1672?]

1 print : engraving ; image and lettering 23.5 x 26.4 cm

Sinne-beeld. Ter eeren van sijn Doorluchtighste Hoogheyt Wilhem de III. Prins van Oraenjen. Ten besten des vaderlands.

According to the lettering on another version (Muller, loc. cit., no. 2306b), possibly by M. Smallegang, i.e. connected with the work by Mattheus Smallegange, Nieuwe cronyk van Zeeland, Middelburg and Amsterdam 1696

Frederik Muller, De Nederlandsche geschiedenis in platen, part 1, Amsterdam: Frederik Muller, 1863, p. 348, no. 2306a

Not found in: J.G. de Lint, Geneeskundige volksprenten in de Nederlanden, Gorinchem: J. Noorduyn & zoon, 1918

Not found in: Eugen Holländer, Die Karikatur und Satire in der Medizin, Stuttgart, 1921

Wellcome Collection 587475i