Kwakzalver 1545 - 1608

Pieter van der Borcht created this engraving of a quack doctor in the late 16th century. The print’s fantastical imagery tells us a great deal about the social and cultural context in which it was made. The central figure is a self-proclaimed healer, or “kwakzalver” as he was known in the Dutch vernacular. Note the elaborate costume and theatrical gestures, he resembles a stage performer more than a medical professional. Van der Borcht presents him as a charlatan who exploits the fears of the gullible. The artist emphasizes the commercial aspect of medicine at the time, as the doctor markets his services to a crowd of onlookers. It's interesting to note that the patients are depicted as animals, or rather, as human-animal hybrids. The artist's bestiary reflects a widespread cultural belief that those who fell for the quack’s deceptions were beasts who lacked reason and judgment. Studying sources such as medical treatises, pamphlets, and popular literature from the period can reveal the social anxieties surrounding health, fraud, and deception that shaped the production and reception of this image.