A Consultation of Physicians, or The Company of Undertakers is a 1736 engraving by William Hogarth that satirizes the medical profession.[1][2] It depicts a coat of arms with three notorious quacks of the time―John Taylor, Sarah Mapp, and Joshua Ward—seated at the top of the shield and twelve physicians below, implying that the quacks and the physicians are one and the same.[3] The blazon at the bottom of the print reads:
The company of undertakers beareth, sable, a urinal, proper, between twelve quack-heads of the second, and twelve cane-heads, orconsultant. On a chief, nebulae, ermine, one complete doctor, issuant, checkie, sustaining, in his right hand, a baton of the second. On his dexter and sinister sides two demi-doctors, issuant, of the second, and two cane-heads, issuant of the third; the first having one eye, couchant, towards the dexter side of the escutcheon; the second, faced, per pale, proper, and gules guardant. With this motto—Et plurima mortis imago.[4]
Taylor, seated at the top left, is winking and holds a cane bearing an open eye, a reference to his dubious ocular surgeries. The bonesetter Mapp holds a large bone in her hand, and Ward, a pharmaceutical charlatan, is depicted with a half-red face, representing the man's distinctive port-wine birthmark.[5] A physician in the bottom right holds a urine flask, likely referencing the practice of uroscopy.[6] Other physicians examine the flask, holding perfumed canes to their noses to cover up the smell—perhaps of death.[3][7] The motto translates to "And many are the faces of death"[3] or "Everywhere the image of death".[8] The doctors' canes resemble the batons held by undertakers at funerals,[9] and death is symbolized by the black background and the crossed bones at the bottom of the crest.[2][4] The language of "quack-heads" and "cane-heads" equates the intellect of the doctors to that of their canes.[10]
^"The Company of Undertakers". Royal Academy. from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
^ abGeraghty, K. (2001). "The Company of Undertakers: Satire and the Medical Profession". AMA Journal of Ethics. 3 (4): 117–118. doi:10.1001/virtualmentor.2001.3.4.mhst1-0104. PMID 23272961.
^ abc"A Consultation of Physicians, or The Company of Undertakers". Philadelphia Museum of Art. from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
^Gwyn, N.B. (1940). "An interpretation of the Hogarth print "The Arms of the Company of Undertakers"". Bulletin of the History of Medicine. 8 (1): 115–27.
Works citededit
Haslam, F. (1996). From Hogarth to Rowlandson: Medicine in Art in Eighteenth-century Britain. Liverpool University Press. ISBN0-85323-630-5.
Hogarth, W. (n.d.). The works of William Hogarth, moralized. London: J. Goodwin.
company, undertakers, consultation, physicians, 1736, engraving, william, hogarth, that, satirizes, medical, profession, depicts, coat, arms, with, three, notorious, quacks, time, john, taylor, sarah, mapp, joshua, ward, seated, shield, twelve, physicians, bel. A Consultation of Physicians or The Company of Undertakers is a 1736 engraving by William Hogarth that satirizes the medical profession 1 2 It depicts a coat of arms with three notorious quacks of the time John Taylor Sarah Mapp and Joshua Ward seated at the top of the shield and twelve physicians below implying that the quacks and the physicians are one and the same 3 The blazon at the bottom of the print reads A Consultation of Physicians or The Company of Undertakers by William Hogarth 1736 Scan from the Wellcome Collection The company of undertakers beareth sable a urinal proper between twelve quack heads of the second and twelve cane heads or consultant On a chief nebulae ermine one complete doctor issuant checkie sustaining in his right hand a baton of the second On his dexter and sinister sides two demi doctors issuant of the second and two cane heads issuant of the third the first having one eye couchant towards the dexter side of the escutcheon the second faced per pale proper and gules guardant With this motto Et plurima mortis imago 4 Taylor seated at the top left is winking and holds a cane bearing an open eye a reference to his dubious ocular surgeries The bonesetter Mapp holds a large bone in her hand and Ward a pharmaceutical charlatan is depicted with a half red face representing the man s distinctive port wine birthmark 5 A physician in the bottom right holds a urine flask likely referencing the practice of uroscopy 6 Other physicians examine the flask holding perfumed canes to their noses to cover up the smell perhaps of death 3 7 The motto translates to And many are the faces of death 3 or Everywhere the image of death 8 The doctors canes resemble the batons held by undertakers at funerals 9 and death is symbolized by the black background and the crossed bones at the bottom of the crest 2 4 The language of quack heads and cane heads equates the intellect of the doctors to that of their canes 10 See also editList of works by William HogarthReferences edit The Company of Undertakers Royal Academy Archived from the original on 30 January 2022 Retrieved 12 August 2022 a b Geraghty K 2001 The Company of Undertakers Satire and the Medical Profession AMA Journal of Ethics 3 4 117 118 doi 10 1001 virtualmentor 2001 3 4 mhst1 0104 PMID 23272961 a b c A Consultation of Physicians or The Company of Undertakers Philadelphia Museum of Art Archived from the original on 1 April 2022 Retrieved 12 August 2022 a b Hogarth n d pp 225 6 Haslam 1996 pp 56 61 Haslam 1996 p 79 Shesgreen 1973 plate 40 Haslam 1996 p 55 Haslam 1996 p 54 Gwyn N B 1940 An interpretation of the Hogarth print The Arms of the Company of Undertakers Bulletin of the History of Medicine 8 1 115 27 Works cited edit Haslam F 1996 From Hogarth to Rowlandson Medicine in Art in Eighteenth century Britain Liverpool University Press ISBN 0 85323 630 5 Hogarth W n d The works of William Hogarth moralized London J Goodwin Shesgreen Sean 1973 Engravings by Hogarth Dover Publications ISBN 978 0 486 22479 4 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Company of Undertakers amp oldid 1164103154, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
