Habit of a Physician in Holland in 1640

by Thomas Jefferys

In this evocative etching created by Thomas Jefferys, one can see the noble character of a Dutch physician from the 17th century. Dressed in the traditional “habit” of the time—a long dark doublet with a fur-lined cloak—the doctor appears as a symbol of the Dutch Golden Age’s intelligentsia.

The picture portrays the impeccable craftsmanship of that period through its stiff lace collar and wide-brimmed hat. Unlike their counterparts from the southern lands who wore grotesque plague doctor masks, the Dutch physicians of 1640 are depicted with all the solemnity of civil servants and naturalists. It was an age when the paintings of Rembrandt and Vermeer could be seen in those very same streets.