De kwakzalver
Jan Havicksz. Steen
1650 - 1660
Medium
oil on panel
Dimensions
8.5; 72; 37.5; 52; 59
About this artwork
olieverf op paneel
Art Historical Context
**De Kwakzalver (The Quack Doctor)** Jan Havicksz. (c. 1650–1660) captures the bustling energy of everyday Dutch life during the Golden Age. This oil on panel painting, measuring a intimate 37.5 × 52 cm, now resides in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum., a master of genre scenes, delighted in portraying ordinary folk with wit and warmth, often infusing his works with subtle social commentary. Painted on a sturdy oak panel—a favored medium for its smooth surface and durability in 17th-century Netherlands—"De Kwakzalver" likely depicts a charismatic mountebank hawking dubious cures to a gullible crowd. T...