Artwork
The Epileptic Child Healed
The Epileptic Child Healed is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Léonard Gaultier. It dates from 1578 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Léonard Gaultier, a French engraver active in Paris during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, produced the print *The Epileptic Child Healed* circa 1578. Executed entirely with a graver, the image presents a public scene of a young man seized by a seizure, surrounded by onlookers and a clerical figure offering intervention.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a kneeling figure clutching his head, his gaze directed upward, while a robed individual stands with uplifted hands, suggesting prayer or a ritual of cure. A gathered crowd watches, conveying communal concern. The setting includes a townscape with towers, a church, and a densely‑leafed tree, grounding the episode in a recognizable urban environment.
Technique & Style
Gaultier’s engraving displays the tight, linear precision associated with the Wierix brothers and Crispyn van de Passe. Fine cross‑hatching and delicate shading render texture, depth, and the varied expressions of the spectators, demonstrating the high level of control achievable with metal plates and ink.
History & Provenance
Born around 1561 in Mainz, Gaultier worked in Paris until his death in 1641, producing portraits and a range of subjects. *The Epileptic Child Healed* belongs to his early output, reflecting the period’s interest in religious and medical themes rendered for a broad audience.
Context
In the late Renaissance, prints often served both devotional and instructional purposes, illustrating miracles, saints, or medical conditions. This work aligns with contemporary visual culture that linked spiritual intercession with physical healing, especially for ailments such as epilepsy, which were frequently interpreted through a religious lens.
Artist & collection
Artist
Léonard Gaultier, or, as he sometimes signed himself, Galter, a French engraver, was born at Mainz about 1561, and died in Paris in 1641.
