An Old Woman with Urine Glass_ _The Quack_ c. 1680

Editor: Willem van Mieris painted this around 1680. It’s called "An Old Woman with Urine Glass, or, The Quack," and it's an oil painting currently housed in the Städel Museum. It's a rather…unflattering portrait. She's gazing intently at this vial, and there's something almost sly about her expression. What's your read on this? Curator: Ah, yes, our "charming" fortune teller! You see, back then, urine analysis was considered a legitimate, if highly dubious, medical practice. The color, sediment – apparently, all telling! Mieris paints her almost as a caricature, doesn't he? As though medicine is merely a parlour game for charlatans and, equally culpable, gullible folks. Have you noticed the detailed rendering of her weathered face? Every line etched by time, every flaw magnified? Editor: Yes, the detail is incredible, almost unsettling. Do you think Mieris is entirely dismissing this woman? Is there perhaps any sympathy in his depiction? Curator: A bit of empathy, perhaps? Look at the slight tremble in her hands, clutching that fateful glass. Is it knowledge she possesses or merely desperate hope, both on her part, and her patron’s? Or are they as one, clinging to superstition in an age when so many others, just beyond her darkened chamber, are casting shadows on hallowed old notions? Editor: So it’s a commentary on the dawn of reason versus old belief? That's a lot to glean from just one small bottle and one old woman. Curator: Indeed, sometimes the grandest truths are hidden in the most unexpected, and frankly, somewhat pungent, corners. Remember dear friend, to look close and never, ever underestimate what’s inside! Editor: That definitely gives me a whole new perspective on 17th-century medicine and art. Thanks for opening my eyes, and well, my nose to it.