Ezel voelt de pols van een zieke man 1824

Cyprien Charles Marie Nicolas Gaulon created this print, titled "A donkey feels the pulse of a sick man," in the early 19th century. Gaulon lived through the tumultuous years of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era, periods marked by dramatic social and political upheaval. In this lithograph, Gaulon evokes the satirical tradition of representing human follies through animal figures. The donkey, dressed in fine clothes, embodies the figure of an unqualified doctor, highlighting the dangers of ignorance and the social critique of the time. Meanwhile, the sick man lying in bed, with two figures lurking in the background, reminds us of our mortality. The emotional resonance of this work lies in its frank depiction of human vulnerability. Gaulon deftly uses satire to confront themes of social critique and mortality, echoing the anxieties of an era marked by political and social instability.