Leyden, Lucas van (1494 Leyden 1533). The Stone-cutter. Quacking surgeon taking away stones a simpleton behind the left ear which hamper his cerebration. Corresponding to that his right suggestively rests on a square stone meanwhile the left warns to be carefully. With the right holding the ear the master’s left leads the scalpel. On the left a tray with two larger and a tiny stones already taken away. Engraving. 1524. Enlarged copy in opposite direction by or at Jan Claas Visscher (c. 1550 Amsterdam 1612). Inscribed: ICV (ligated) excud. 26.4 x 16.8 cm.

Bartsch, Nagler, Hollstein 156, Leyden in each case and as surgeon; Widmann + Mörgeli, (Barber and Surgeon), 1998, ills. p. 85, also after Leyden, but erroneously as “(Barber shaving the Back-hair)”. – Compare Bol, Adriaen van de Venne, 1989, p. 103 + colour ills. “The Stone-cutter / De Kei-snijder”. – The monogram here according to the first one shown by Wurzbach II, 800; compare Nagler, Monogrammisten, III, 2155 + V, 1063 and, for Cornelis Visscher, also ibid. V, 1079, Cornelis Visscher, in imitation of the one here.

Jug with crown watermark. – With fine margins of 3-5 mm. – Glued down by old hand at left edge. – Right outwards scarcely visible retouched tear and fine smoothed centre fold.

With Dutch five-line lettering by which the master boasts of his special skill :

“ Also inden nargonsche const niemant is myns gelycke. / Hebbe daerom vanden key te snyden … Oock vanden hooft weruel te finden soe goeden praetyke. / Als ick en quamer noyt experter meester int lant. ”

“ The symbolically intended depiction of the ‘cutting of the rock’ is based upon the fictitious claim of the surgeon who professes to be able to cure gullible folk of their feeblemindedness by the surgical removal of a stone from the head which is hampering the working of the patient’s brain. By lending himself for the pretended operation, the simpleton demonstrates his softheaded foolishness in two-fold manner. The theme is

a  traditional  subject  found  in  Netherlandish  painting

from  Hieronymus  Bosch  (about 1450-1516)  to  Jan  Steen  (about 1626-1679)  … ”

(Bol).

While at Leyden/Visscher surgeon + patient are located in an inner ambient at van de Venne’s 1630 oil e. g. the operation takes place in the open air, maybe during a kermis. The scenery surrounded by a crowd suffering from a same sympton. The inscription “Niemant” on a signboard there “is enigmatic to us in the 1980s” (Bol with well-founded chain of reasoning to its dénouement). That the subtext here, though harmlessly, contains a “niemant”, too, may be repeated.

“ One  of  the  finest  works ”  van  Leyden’s

(Nagler) whose sujet – pendant to its dental surgeon – is charming even for van Leyden himself. Measuring in its original just only 11.7 x 7.4 cm and certainly rare, but to be found occasionally. While only here and for the first time the scenery is present in an adequate size

The authors of which being found not less as good fellows in respect of the interpretation of the work like the simpletons seeking healing. Nevertheless, quack to and fro, Leyden’s famous engraving is together

one  of  the  early  ones  of  surgery .

Optically adequately brought out however only by

Visscher’s  400  years  old  after-engraving  in  its  fine  size  of – now – 26.4 x 16.6 cm !

Offer no. 13,020 / EUR  2199. / Export price EUR  2089. (c. US$ 3306.) + shipping

“ The prints arrived safely. What is your return policy? My boss, doesn’t like the images, which I understand is subjective (– probably in reaction on the 11^th September –) and no reflection on the condition or any representations you made. Sorry to bother you with this ”

(Mrs. A. P., September 26, 2001)