Village Surgeon (The Feeling)
Dorfchirurg (Das Gefühl), after Adriaen Brouwer
Adriaen Brouwer (1605/6–1638) was a Flemish Baroque painter renowned for his genre scenes that vividly depicted peasant life, often with a satirical or grotesque edge. One of his most compelling works, 'Dorfchirurg' (The Village Surgeon), captures a moment of crude medical intervention in a rustic setting. Brouwer was an important innovator of genre painting through his vivid depictions of the lower class lives, contributed to the development of the 'tronies', studies of the faces in varieties of expression.
Here it is presented a later copy of the painting by unknown German artist of the 19th century, oil on wood panel, 26 x 20 cm.
Description of the Painting
In 'Dorfsurgeon,' Brouwer presents a chaotic yet intimate scene in which a village surgeon – clearly not a professional with a university degree - treats a wound on a patient's right arm. The composition is tightly focused, with the heads of the patient, surgeon, and viewer closely grouped together. This arrangement directs the viewer's attention to the act of treatment and the emotional intensity of the moment. Brouwer masterfully conveys the patient's physical pain and the surgeon's tension with minimal but expressive strokes.
The scene unfolds in a simple, unassuming room with roughly plastered walls, perhaps a barber's shop or rustic tavern. On the wall is an unpretentious wooden shelf with pots, beneath which a block flute hangs on a nail. The dark, muted tones and drab setting emphasize the raw and unfiltered nature of the moment, a characteristic of Brouwer's focus on “lower class” people and their daily lives. A wide opened clay pot filled with smoldering coals, warming the cold corner, rags scattered on the table beside it, with a bottle and a smaller vial standing. The liquid in the bottle is hardly intended to disinfect wounds (the germ theory is still more than two hundred years away) but rather to lift the spirits of a suffering patient.
The patient is clearly not at home - his walking wooden staff is propped on a chair, the black beret hangs on the chair's back. The patient's face reflects intense suffering, he even squints one eye in pain, and his lips are folded into a suppressed groan, as if he is exclaiming, “Oooooootch!”.
A surgeon in a red cap, dressed in a grey coat with red cuffs, is treating the wound. His gaze is intense, lips are tight, he is focused on the manipulation. Behind them, a third persone in a dark, tall hat peeks over his shoulder – a friend of the patient or just a curious gawker.
This painting is often interpreted as an exploration of human emotion and the physical manifestation of pain, which corresponds to its second title 'Das Gefühl' (The Feeling). It is characteristic of Brouwer's unusually strong interest in capturing the expressions and experiences of ordinary people, often in moments of vulnerability or distress.
Adriaen Brouwer’s Dorfchirurg is a masterful representation of early modern medical practice, blending sharp social commentary with striking artistic technique. The painting not only sheds light on historical healthcare but also captures the raw humanity of its subjects—pain, curiosity, and even dark humor. Through his careful composition and expressive figures, Brouwer leaves the viewer with a vivid, unforgettable image of medical treatment as it was experienced by the common people of 17th-century Flanders.
Provenance
References
- The original work of Adriaen Brouwer under the title Dorfchirurg (Das Gefühl), 1625-1638 is presented in the Alte Pinakothek of Munich. Inv. no. 851. Oil on oak panel, 23,5 x 20,3 cm. https://www.sammlung.pinakothek.de/de/artwork/ZMLJYr2xJv
- Monogrammed copy of the original in the Residenzgalerie, Salzburg, came from the former Viennese noble collection Czernin. 24,1 x 20,1 cm. https://www.domquartier.at/residenzgalerie-sammlung-online/gemaelde/das-gefuehl/
- A surgeon attending to a man's arm. Oil painting after Adriaen Brouwer(1605 or 1606-1638). Wellcome Collection, London. Reference: 45958i. 21 x 18 cm https://wellcomecollection.org/works/k72yhkek/items
