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Quack addressing a crowd
Maker
Attributed to
(artist)
1621-1674
Formerly attributed to
1606-1669
(artist)
1621-1674
Formerly attributed to
1606-1669
Title
Quack addressing a crowd
Date of Production
(circa) 1637
Medium
pen and brown ink, brown wash, white bodycolour on laid paper, with brown ink framing lines
Dimensions
Height: 18.9 cm
Width: 16.7 cm
Width: 16.7 cm
Accession Number
D.1978.PG.186
Mode of Acquisition
Count Antoine Seilern, bequest, 1978
Credit
The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)
Copyright
Work in the public domain
Location
Not currently on display
Keywords
Quacks
Label Text
In early-modern Europe, quacks thrived during pandemics and plague years. Preying on the most vulnerable who could not afford a doctor and prescribed medicines, these unregulated practitioners offered basic medical services, such as dental extractions and homemade remedies, at street corners and country fairs. The term quack derives from their attention-grabbing shouts, reminiscent of the cries of noisy ducks.
This lively drawing, attributed to the Dutch painter Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, a student of Rembrandt, represents one such charlatan standing on an improvised stage under a parasol, both attributes typical of his profession. They appear in many Dutch paintings illustrating a similar subject, such as 'The Quack' oil painting by Gerrit Dou (1613-1675), dating around 1650. From his vantage point among market stalls, he advertises the potions in his hands. A tall hat, a mantle and an exotic parrot on his left shoulder lend him a spurious elegance and distinguish him from the people of modest means attending the marketplace. The perspective from which the artist has set the scene does not offer a full view of the charlatan and the canvas unfolded behind him (possibly advertising his products and services), but focuses instead on the audience of potential clients gathered in front of him: men, women and children, all people hooked on his empty promises.
This lively drawing, attributed to the Dutch painter Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, a student of Rembrandt, represents one such charlatan standing on an improvised stage under a parasol, both attributes typical of his profession. They appear in many Dutch paintings illustrating a similar subject, such as 'The Quack' oil painting by Gerrit Dou (1613-1675), dating around 1650. From his vantage point among market stalls, he advertises the potions in his hands. A tall hat, a mantle and an exotic parrot on his left shoulder lend him a spurious elegance and distinguish him from the people of modest means attending the marketplace. The perspective from which the artist has set the scene does not offer a full view of the charlatan and the canvas unfolded behind him (possibly advertising his products and services), but focuses instead on the audience of potential clients gathered in front of him: men, women and children, all people hooked on his empty promises.
Provenance
collected for Friedrich August II of Saxony (1797-1854), L.971, by Johann G.A. Frenzel (1782-1855); Frenzel's sale, Heinrich (Dresden), 7 August 1837, lot 11; in Dresden until after the Second World War [? as per 1983 catalogue, but no evidence given]; A. & R. Ball (New York), by September 1949 (see correspondence in file); purchased there via Arthur Goldschmidt (Paris dealer) by Count Antoine Seilern (1901-1978), 27 April 1950 ($11,000); Princes Gate Bequest 1978
Exhibition History
Drawings by Rembrandt and his Pupils, J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 08/12/2009-28/02/2010
Special Display - Rembrandt drawings, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 22/02/2007-03/06/2007
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 02/07/1983-25/09/1983 ...More
Mantegna to Cezanne - Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 24/02/1983-19/06/1983
A loan exhibition of Rembrandt : under the high patronage of His Excellency, Eelco N. Van Kleffens, Ambassador of the Netherlands, for the benefit of the Public Education Association, Wildenstein Galleries, New York, 19/01/1950-25/02/1950 ...Less
Special Display - Rembrandt drawings, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 22/02/2007-03/06/2007
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 02/07/1983-25/09/1983 ...More
Mantegna to Cezanne - Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 24/02/1983-19/06/1983
A loan exhibition of Rembrandt : under the high patronage of His Excellency, Eelco N. Van Kleffens, Ambassador of the Netherlands, for the benefit of the Public Education Association, Wildenstein Galleries, New York, 19/01/1950-25/02/1950 ...Less
Literature
Far and Away: Drawings from the Clement C. Moore Collection, Morgan Library, New York, 2024
fig. 38.3, p.132
Attributed fully to Eeckhout in fig. note
Old drawings, new names, Museum het Rembrandthuis, 2014
under no. 13, note 5
as van den Eeckhout
Bevers, Holm, 'Early, Rembrandtesque drawings by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout', in 'Master Drawings', 2010 - pp. 39-72; XLVIII
pp. 43-44
fig. 4
as van den Eeckhout ...More
Drawings by Rembrandt and his Pupils, J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 2009-10
cat. no. 15.2
ill. on p. 113
entry author: Holm Bevers; as van den Eeckhout dated c. 1637-40
Bevers, Holm, Rembrandt. Die Zeichnungen im Berliner Kupferstichkabinett. Kritischer Katalog, Ostfildern and Berlin 2006
under no. 19, note 3
as van den Eeckhout
Rembrandt dessinateur. Chefs-d'oeuvres des collections en France, Louvre, Paris, 20 Octobre 2006 - 8 January 2007
p. 17
fig. 9 on p. 16
Bevers, Holm, 'Ausstellungen zu Rembrandt im Rückblick' [Reviews of Exh. Boston-Chicago, 2003-2004, Exh. Vienna, 2004 and Exh. Dresden, 2004] in 'Kunstchronik', 2005 - pp. 463-82; LVIII
p. 469
as van den Eeckhout
Farr, Dennis, 100 Masterpieces from the Courtauld Collections, London: Courtauld Institute Galleries, 1987
p. 156
ill. on p. 157
as attrib to Rembrandt
Mantegna to Cezanne: Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 1983
cat. no. 54
no. 54, p. 47
ill. on p. 61 and pl. IV
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, Courtauld Galllery, 1983
cat. no. 11
ill.
Seilern, Count Antoine, Corrigenda and Addenda to the Catalogue of paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, London 1971
no. 186
as Rembrandt
La vie en Hollande au XVIIe siècle, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, 11 January - 20 March 1967
under no. 260
Slive, S., Drawings of Rembrandt, New York 1965
vol. II, no. 465
Seilern, Count Antoine, Paintings and drawings of Continental Schools other than Flemish and Italian at 56 Princes Gate, London SW7, London 1961; III
no. 186
pl. XI
as Rembrandt, dated c. 1638-42
Benesch, Otto, Corpus der Rembrandtzeichnungen, 1954-73
no. 417
fig. 470
dated c. 1637
A loan exhibition of Rembrandt : under the high patronage of His Excellency, Eelco N. Van Kleffens, Ambassador of the Netherlands, for the benefit of the Public Education Association, Wildenstein Galleries, New York, 1950
cat. no. 32
Benesch, Otto, Rembrandt's selected drawings, London and Oxford 1947
no. 89
ill.
Benesch, O., 'Rembrandt' in Thieme-Becker Künstler-Lexikon, 1935; XXIX
p. 264
Benesch, O., Rembrandt. Werk und Forschung, Vienna 1935
p. 16 or 28?
Valentiner, W.R., Rembrandt. Des Meisters Handzeichnungen. Klassiker der Kunst, Stuttgart and Berlin 1934; xxxi, vol. II
no. 749
Bock, E. and J. Rosenberg, Die Niederländischen Meister, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin 1930
p. 233 under no. 5268
Weisbach, W., Rembrandt, Berlin and Leipzig 1926
p. 170
fig. 38
Freise, K., K. Lilienfeld and H. Wichmann, Rembrandts Handzeichnungen iii, Staatliches Kupferstichkabinett und Sammlung Friedrich August II zu Dresden, 1925
no. 126 and p. 9
ill.
Valentiner, W.R., 'Komödiantendarstellungen Rembrandts’ in 'Zeitschrift für bildende Kunst', 1925–26 - pp. 265–77; lix
pp. 270ff
Lugt, F., ‘Rembrandt’s Amsterdam’ in 'Print Collectors’ Quarterly', 1915 - pp. 111-69; V
p. 111 or 159?
pl. 26
Lippmann, F., with the assistance of W. Bode, S. Colvin, F.S. Haden and J.P. Heseltine, Original Drawings by Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn reproduced in Phototype, four series, London, Paris and The Hague 1888-1911
series IV, no. 22
ill.
Hofstede de Groot, C., Die Handzeichnungen Rembrandts, Haarlem 1906
no. 318
dated c. 1637
Royalton-Kisch, Martin, The drawings of Rembrandt: a revision of Otto Benesch's catalogue raisonné, rembrandtcatalogue.net ongoing
Benesch 0417 (posted 19 March 2019) and under 0416 and 0419
Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, c. 1637 ...Less
fig. 38.3, p.132
Attributed fully to Eeckhout in fig. note
Old drawings, new names, Museum het Rembrandthuis, 2014
under no. 13, note 5
as van den Eeckhout
Bevers, Holm, 'Early, Rembrandtesque drawings by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout', in 'Master Drawings', 2010 - pp. 39-72; XLVIII
pp. 43-44
fig. 4
as van den Eeckhout ...More
Drawings by Rembrandt and his Pupils, J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 2009-10
cat. no. 15.2
ill. on p. 113
entry author: Holm Bevers; as van den Eeckhout dated c. 1637-40
Bevers, Holm, Rembrandt. Die Zeichnungen im Berliner Kupferstichkabinett. Kritischer Katalog, Ostfildern and Berlin 2006
under no. 19, note 3
as van den Eeckhout
Rembrandt dessinateur. Chefs-d'oeuvres des collections en France, Louvre, Paris, 20 Octobre 2006 - 8 January 2007
p. 17
fig. 9 on p. 16
Bevers, Holm, 'Ausstellungen zu Rembrandt im Rückblick' [Reviews of Exh. Boston-Chicago, 2003-2004, Exh. Vienna, 2004 and Exh. Dresden, 2004] in 'Kunstchronik', 2005 - pp. 463-82; LVIII
p. 469
as van den Eeckhout
Farr, Dennis, 100 Masterpieces from the Courtauld Collections, London: Courtauld Institute Galleries, 1987
p. 156
ill. on p. 157
as attrib to Rembrandt
Mantegna to Cezanne: Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 1983
cat. no. 54
no. 54, p. 47
ill. on p. 61 and pl. IV
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, Courtauld Galllery, 1983
cat. no. 11
ill.
Seilern, Count Antoine, Corrigenda and Addenda to the Catalogue of paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, London 1971
no. 186
as Rembrandt
La vie en Hollande au XVIIe siècle, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, 11 January - 20 March 1967
under no. 260
Slive, S., Drawings of Rembrandt, New York 1965
vol. II, no. 465
Seilern, Count Antoine, Paintings and drawings of Continental Schools other than Flemish and Italian at 56 Princes Gate, London SW7, London 1961; III
no. 186
pl. XI
as Rembrandt, dated c. 1638-42
Benesch, Otto, Corpus der Rembrandtzeichnungen, 1954-73
no. 417
fig. 470
dated c. 1637
A loan exhibition of Rembrandt : under the high patronage of His Excellency, Eelco N. Van Kleffens, Ambassador of the Netherlands, for the benefit of the Public Education Association, Wildenstein Galleries, New York, 1950
cat. no. 32
Benesch, Otto, Rembrandt's selected drawings, London and Oxford 1947
no. 89
ill.
Benesch, O., 'Rembrandt' in Thieme-Becker Künstler-Lexikon, 1935; XXIX
p. 264
Benesch, O., Rembrandt. Werk und Forschung, Vienna 1935
p. 16 or 28?
Valentiner, W.R., Rembrandt. Des Meisters Handzeichnungen. Klassiker der Kunst, Stuttgart and Berlin 1934; xxxi, vol. II
no. 749
Bock, E. and J. Rosenberg, Die Niederländischen Meister, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin 1930
p. 233 under no. 5268
Weisbach, W., Rembrandt, Berlin and Leipzig 1926
p. 170
fig. 38
Freise, K., K. Lilienfeld and H. Wichmann, Rembrandts Handzeichnungen iii, Staatliches Kupferstichkabinett und Sammlung Friedrich August II zu Dresden, 1925
no. 126 and p. 9
ill.
Valentiner, W.R., 'Komödiantendarstellungen Rembrandts’ in 'Zeitschrift für bildende Kunst', 1925–26 - pp. 265–77; lix
pp. 270ff
Lugt, F., ‘Rembrandt’s Amsterdam’ in 'Print Collectors’ Quarterly', 1915 - pp. 111-69; V
p. 111 or 159?
pl. 26
Lippmann, F., with the assistance of W. Bode, S. Colvin, F.S. Haden and J.P. Heseltine, Original Drawings by Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn reproduced in Phototype, four series, London, Paris and The Hague 1888-1911
series IV, no. 22
ill.
Hofstede de Groot, C., Die Handzeichnungen Rembrandts, Haarlem 1906
no. 318
dated c. 1637
Royalton-Kisch, Martin, The drawings of Rembrandt: a revision of Otto Benesch's catalogue raisonné, rembrandtcatalogue.net ongoing
Benesch 0417 (posted 19 March 2019) and under 0416 and 0419
Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, c. 1637 ...Less
Inscriptions
Watermark: Watermark: none.
Inscription: Recto: lower centre edge, brown ink: “2”. Verso: upper right, graphite: “6”; lower left, graphite, no. in Hofstede de Groot's 1906 catalogue: “H.d.G. 318”; lower centre, graphite: “180220”.
Collector's mark: Recto: lower right corner, stamped in black: Friedrich August II de Saxe (L.971). Verso: lower right, offprint of a circular red stamp, too indistinct for the moment to identify.
Inscription: Recto: lower centre edge, brown ink: “2”. Verso: upper right, graphite: “6”; lower left, graphite, no. in Hofstede de Groot's 1906 catalogue: “H.d.G. 318”; lower centre, graphite: “180220”.
Collector's mark: Recto: lower right corner, stamped in black: Friedrich August II de Saxe (L.971). Verso: lower right, offprint of a circular red stamp, too indistinct for the moment to identify.
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