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Portrait of a Surgeon

Netherlandish Painter Netherlandish
Not on view
A surgeon is represented here with the attributes of his trade: a skull and a metal instrument that resembles the tool used to cauterize skulls. From his belt hang several keys and a saw. The man’s features—a firm jaw, lines around the eyes, and large, powerful hands—attest to the rigors of his profession, in contrast to the courtly refinement of portraits by Corneille de Lyon. The cryptic inscription on the left reads, "seit om of swijcht" (be cautious or keep silent).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Portrait of a Surgeon
  • Artist: Netherlandish Painter (dated 1569)
  • Medium: Oil on wood
  • Dimensions: 8 1/4 x 6 1/8 in. (21 x 15.6 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Theodore M. Davis Collection, Bequest of Theodore M. Davis, 1915
  • Object Number: 30.95.287
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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Portrait of a Man in a Chaperon, Netherlandish Painter Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Portrait of a Man in a Chaperon
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Mary Magdalene at the Foot of the Cross, Master of Rimini, Alabaster, South Netherlandish
Mary Magdalene at the Foot of the Cross
Follower of the Master of Rimini
ca. 1420–30
The Spanish Singer, Edouard Manet French, Oil on canvas
The Spanish Singer
Edouard Manet
1860
Portrait of a Man, Netherlandish Painter Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Portrait of a Man
Netherlandish Painter
Pair of Stirrups, Iron, gold, Netherlandish
Pair of Stirrups
Netherlandish
first half 17th century

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