Sick woman 1670

Curator: Here we have Jan Steen's "Sick Woman," painted around 1670, a captivating piece of genre painting housed at the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen. Editor: Immediately striking. There's an interesting tension; the lighting is quite dim, heightening a sense of unease and… is that an enema syringe the figure behind her is holding? Curator: Indeed it is! Steen often incorporated contemporary social mores into his work, and the Dutch Golden Age had a keen interest in medicine and domestic life. These scenes often served as moralizing commentary. Note how the woman presses on what seems to be her heart and looks very discomforted. Editor: The texture of her silk gown seems beautifully rendered. You can almost feel the weight of the fabric, not to mention a close observation and understanding of available materials within a 17th century Dutch household and trade dynamics, particularly with the introduction of imported fabrics. How accessible were those materials, I wonder? Curator: That is very relevant as we are seeing not only the materiality and the fabric's possible origins here, but also class is relevant. I think we should consider the implication of a possible romantic ailment indicated in the location where she is placing her hand, but also the book that we find at the feet of the patient—very likely a book about courtly love and maybe related to her melancholic affliction. It all comes together to reveal insights into Dutch society. Editor: It brings up interesting points about who had access to these goods, medical treatments, and education. What does the presence of this sort of advanced remedy reveal about the state of health practices and social perceptions during the time? I wonder what sort of labor the assistant to the patient has seen through the usage of said instrument? Curator: Those are relevant insights for thinking of "Sick Woman." Jan Steen's brilliance lies in inviting us to question not just what is depicted but also why it matters historically. Editor: Steen offers a canvas teeming with rich implications about material culture and socio-economic realities of the time, don't you think?