The Quack c. 1690 - 1710

Cornelis Dusart painted this small oil on panel, called The Quack, during the late 17th or early 18th century. The oval composition, framed by an ornate golden border, depicts a scene bursting with activity. The artist uses a vibrant yet earthy palette, focusing on the figures clustered around a central quack doctor. Light and shadow play across the scene, enhancing the textures and forms of the characters and their environment. Dusart masterfully organizes the chaos, creating a visual narrative that is as much about the structure of the painting as it is about its subject. The artist explores the themes of deception and spectacle, using the composition to highlight the absurd nature of the scene. Look closely at the way the artist uses line and color to draw your eye around the painting. The very structure of the artwork, with its careful arrangement of figures and the balance of light and dark, invites us to consider how meaning is constructed through visual form.