De werkplaats van de Chirurgijnsgilde te Amsterdam, ca. 1725-1730 1725 - 1727

This engraving from around 1725-1730, titled 'The Workshop of the Surgeons' Guild in Amsterdam,' offers a window into the world of early 18th-century medical practice. Here we see the surgeons' guild, an institution that sought to regulate and standardize medical knowledge. The image presents a scene of public dissection, a practice used both for teaching and as a form of civic spectacle. This event blurs the boundaries between scientific inquiry, social ritual, and even entertainment. Notice the juxtaposition of the tools of surgery alongside everyday objects, and the diverse crowd, which highlights the guild's role within the broader social fabric of Amsterdam. In understanding this image, historians consult guild records, medical texts, and visual culture of the time. By considering such sources, we can better understand how institutions like the Surgeons' Guild shaped the development and dissemination of medical knowledge, and how that knowledge was perceived by the wider public.