Karikatuur van vijf artsen met pruiken die elkaar raadplegen 1823

Louis Léopold Boilly created this caricature of five doctors with wigs consulting one another. It’s from 1760, a time when medicine was on the cusp of significant change, yet still clung to outdated practices. Here, Boilly captures the sometimes absurd nature of medical consultations during this period. The exaggerated expressions and close huddle of the doctors, all powdered wigs and furrowed brows, suggest a scene more theatrical than clinical. The consultation is a performance of knowledge. What we see here is more about appearances than actual insight. Boilly subtly critiques the medical profession's self-importance. Are they truly helping their patients, or are they lost in their own world of arcane knowledge and ritualistic behavior? The humor in this image invites us to question authority and expertise. The artwork prompts reflections on the relationship between knowledge, power, and the human condition, and the emotional impact of entrusting one's health to fallible figures.