The Leech Woman

Genre scenes continued to be greatly popular in the Low Countries well into the 17th century. Frequently, the depictions were presented in a satirical tone that bordered on caricature, as in this etching by Van Ostade’s student, Cornelis Dusart. The scene shows a visit to a charlatan woman who prescribes cupping to her client. The upturned funnel on the head of the female trickster clearly alludes to her empty head; equally dubious is the false diploma on the wall that titles her „Cupping Mistress“. A similar type of satire was also popular in Dutch folk plays.