Jacob de Beaulieu opererend voor een groep chirurgijnen 1699 - 1737

This engraving by Pieter van den Berge captures Jacob de Beaulieu performing surgery, the image measuring 297 by 180 millimeters. The composition is structured around contrasting scales and levels of reality. The dominant scene shows a surgical operation attended by onlookers. Van den Berge uses line and detail to render the textures of clothing and faces, creating a sense of depth. Above this, the artist includes a smaller scene, seemingly a depiction of the same event but more theatrical, set against heavy drapes. The scene serves as a symbolic commentary on perception and representation. The artist destabilizes the traditional hierarchy of visual elements to challenge the viewer's understanding. Note how the interplay of light and shadow articulates form. The artist encourages us to reflect on how art constructs meaning through its formal arrangement and the interplay between its various elements. The image functions as a cultural artifact that continues to invite interpretation.