Kwakzalver verkoopt zijn waren 1648 - 1941

Adriaen van Ostade made this etching, "Quack Selling His Wares," in the Netherlands in the mid-17th century. It shows a traveling salesman pitching remedies to a crowd of peasants, but what does this image tell us about the society in which it was made? The presence of a quack doctor suggests a world where modern medicine was not available to all, and people would look to alternative healers. The expressions of the people hint at the nature of this exchange. Are they in wonder, or are they skeptical? The Rijksmuseum, where this work is displayed, is itself an institution that shapes our understanding of Dutch history and culture. We must keep in mind that art is a product of its time, influenced by economic realities, social structures, and institutional forces. To delve deeper, one could look at period pamphlets, medical texts, and records of market activities to reveal the social context that birthed this image.