Gezicht op de binnenplaats van het Leprozenhuis te Amsterdam 1663

Jacob van Meurs created this print of the courtyard of the lepers' house in Amsterdam in the 17th century. The Leprozenhuis, or lepers' house, served as a place of care and isolation during a time when leprosy was both a medical condition and a social stigma. Van Meurs’s rendering gives us insight into the culture of the time. The print invites us to consider the lives of those marginalized due to illness. The figures in the courtyard, perhaps residents and caretakers, hint at the community within. The building itself, while functional, also possesses a certain architectural dignity, suggesting a level of care, or perhaps, control. This image exists at the intersection of public health, social exclusion, and artistic representation. It asks us to reflect on how society treats its most vulnerable members and the stories we tell about illness and isolation. It’s a stark, yet subtly humanizing, depiction of a place defined by both suffering and resilience.