Diablerie: A Satire on the Medical Profession
1612–41
Medium
Pen and brown ink
Dimensions
7 x 11 1/16 in. (17.8 x 28.1 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harry G. Sperling Fund, 2001
Accession Number
2001.114
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the spirited drawing *Diablerie: A Satire on the Medical Profession created by Dutch artist Andries Both (ca. 1611/12–1642) sometime between 1612 and1641, viewers encounter a biting caricature that skewers the medical practices of the early 17th century.ed in pen and brown ink on a modest sheet measuring 7 x 11 /16 inches, the work employs exaggerated forms, skulls, and diabolical motifs to lampoon physicians, portraying them as quacks or even devilish charlatans amid the era's rampant medical superstitions and ineffective treatments. Both, known for his lively genre scenes in the Dutch Ba...