An Old Woman Bleeding a Young Woman, known as ‘The Bloodletting’ by Quiringh van Brekelenkam (1622–1679) is a fascinating peek into 17th‑century medical practices. Painted around 1660, it is part of the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis in The Hague, Netherlands.
The painting shows an elderly woman carefully performing a bloodletting on a young woman, using heated cups, which is why she is called a “cupper”, a practice believed at the time to prevent illness or even complications during pregnancy. The scene captures both the tension and intimacy of this antique medical ritual: the young woman looks vulnerable, while the older practitioner is focused and precise.
Van Brekelenkam’s work is known to open a window into everyday life in the Dutch Golden Age, depicting the historical reality of human simplicity. Unlike grand religious paintings, this scene emphasizes ordinary people facing ordinary, but medically important, events, giving it both historical and emotional resonance.
- Photos by Luca Borghi ti.supmacinu|ihgrob.l#| (July 2025) and page layout by Elena Rugolo (December 2025)
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Bibliography
- Quiringh van Brekelenkam. An Old Woman Bleeding a Young Woman, known as ‘The Bloodletting’. c. 1660. Oil on panel, 47.9 x 36.7 cm. Inventory no. 562. On view in Room 14,
- Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis