The Doctor's Visit

Frans van Mieris the Elder

1667

Oil on panel, Oil

J. Paul Getty Museum

A woman in a red and white coat lies slumped over, attended by a woman and a man holding a vial. Another woman stands by a fireplace. In the foreground of this minutely detailed painting, a maid attempts to revive an elegant young woman who has fainted. In the background, a doctor examines a vial of the woman's urine. The dandyish doctor, whose ostentatious clothing suggests that he is a quack, was a stock figure in contemporary theater, and his inclusion here adds a touch of buffoonery. An erotic painting hangs above the fireplace, hinting that the woman suffers from lovesickness. A crying girl seen in the right background holds a burning ribbon, which was understood at the time as a symbol of pregnancy.Frans van Mieris the Elder was well known for his finely pai