Hippocrates Visits Democritus
by GHEYN, Jacob de II, Pen and brown ink, 173 x 228 mm
In this late drawing by the artist, we can see a painterly approach created by the dark bundles of lines and the parts left white.
Democritus, the famous laughing philosopher - who is predominantly depicted with the crying Heraclitus - was so utterly fascinated by anatomy that he was thought to be bordering on madness and so Hippocrates, the famous physician, was called to see him. De Gheyn depicted the scene according to a uniquely original concept: the obsessed Democritus is about to slay a sheep to quench his thirst for knowledge.