This painting, titled Village Surgeon, is rich in layers and details. In the center of the image the surgeon, quite likely a barber-surgeon, scrapes carefully at the skin of his patient. In the background, a workbench is covered in instruments, two other figures examine potential remedies, a broom is knocked over as if to indicate haste, and a dog sits suspiciously at the feet of its master. This scene, typical of the time, is attributed to Johannes Natus, a Dutch genre painter who worked between 1658 and 1662 and specialized in landscapes and portrayals of rural life regarded to be reminiscent of Italian paintings.

Village Surgeon. Attributed to Johannes Natus. Mid- 17th century. Philadelphia Museum of Art.

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