Who painted At the Surgeon?

At the Surgeon was painted by Unknown in 1692.

Where can I see At the Surgeon?

At the Surgeon is held by Statens Museum for Kunst.

Artwork

At the Surgeon

At the Surgeon is a photography by Unknown. It dates from 1692 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.

About this work

Overview

“At the Surgeon,” attributed to the anonymous artist known only as 1700_person, dates to around 1692 and is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. The oil painting portrays a medical procedure in a modest interior, focusing on a surgeon attending to a patient’s leg. The composition is restrained, emphasizing the quiet concentration of the figures amid a sparsely lit space.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure, a surgeon in a white shirt and cap, is shown operating on a seated patient whose leg is propped on a stool.

The central figure, a surgeon in a white shirt and cap, is shown operating on a seated patient whose leg is propped on a stool. An assistant steadies the limb, underscoring the collaborative nature of early modern surgery. The surrounding implements—a basket of tools, jars, and bottles—situate the scene within a clinical environment, inviting reflection on the practice of medicine in the late seventeenth century.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil on canvas, the work employs a limited palette of muted earth tones punctuated by the surgeon’s white attire, which draws the eye to the act of treatment. Light enters from a single source, casting soft shadows that model the figures and suggest a modest, perhaps domestic, setting. The brushwork is careful and detailed, particularly in the rendering of the medical instruments.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1692, the painting’s authorship remains anonymous, recorded only as the work of “1700_person.” It entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings through an acquisition in the early twentieth century, though the exact path of ownership prior to that remains undocumented. The piece has been cited in studies of early modern medical illustration for its realistic depiction of surgical practice.