Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Unnamed surgeon

In this painting an unknown Netherlandish artist features some of the attributes of a surgeon’s profession: a skull, a tool for cauterizing skulls, a saw, and several keys on the surgeon’s belt.

The unnamed surgeon seems composed, serious, with a firm jaw and wrinkled eyes. This is fitting of his position and reputation among the people he likely served. But he seems to lack warmth, and some of his patients may be scared of him.

Portrait of a Surgeon by Netherlandish Painter. 1569. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Public Domain.

Highlighted Vignette Volume 12, Issue 4 – Fall 2020

Fall 2019

|

|

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.