Painting Q&A
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Whose Hands? Whose Legs?
Five hands and three legs are there to stabilise the patient from moving. Can you tell which limb belongs to whom?
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A Senior Lady? Or A Elderly Gent?
The frowning figure expresses empathy; some say it’s a granny, and some say it’s an older man. Can you identify the gender of this figure?
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Diligently Assisting? Or Couldn’t Resist Snickering?
The doctor’s assistant has his mouth wide open. He may be blowing the heat away from the plaster, or warming it up with his breath; some even think he’s snickering behind the plaster. How would you interpret his action?
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What Impression Does the Painter Intend to Make on the Audience?
After seeing the painting, do you feel sympathy for the sick figure wearing ragged clothes? Or are you amused by how everyone is bustling in a spin?
The six figures in the painting all wear mended clothes, with patches sewed with care and unstained; their appearances show nothing close to devastated poverty. Even though the leading figure is a patient wailing in anguish, he is receiving a doctor’s treatment and also gaining help from family and neighbours. This genre painting not only portrays the moment of a zoufang doctor’s medical practice but also, in a bantering way, demonstrates the genuine relationship in the neighbourhood.
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