Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian Dressing a Chest Wound

Image credit: Wellcome Collection

How you can use this image

Public Domain

This image has been assigned a Public Domain Mark and is free to use with unrestricted use.

Please acknowledge the Collection who own the work with a photo credit — this helps spread the word about their resources.

To learn more about images and rights, please see our image use page.

Download

Notes

Add or edit a note on this artwork that only you can see. You can find notes again by going to the ‘Notes’ section of your account.

Saints Cosmas and Damian practised medicine and surgery without payment according to their legend, and were therefore represented to the lay public as medical ideals. This painting shows one of the saints using a bullet extractor to remove a foreign body from a man's chest, and the other one assisting with prayer. On the table is a travelling case of surgical instruments with a lid that flips open, and to the right of it a round box partitioned to hold different ointments used in surgery. The artist of this piece was French, studied in Italy and travelled to Turkey, but spent most of his long career in Malta. There he worked for the Knights of Malta (Knights Hospitallers, or Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem), and became a knight of the order himself.

Wellcome Collection

London

Title

Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian Dressing a Chest Wound

Date

1748

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 85.7 x W 119.5 cm

Accession number

44856i

Acquisition method

purchased by Henry S. Wellcome, c.1900–1936

Work type

Painting

Inscription description

A. Favray 1748

Tags

See a tag that’s incorrect or offensive? Challenge it and notify Art UK.

Help improve Art UK. Tag artworks and verify existing tags by joining the Tagger community.

Wellcome Collection

183 Euston Road, London, Greater London NW1 2BE England

This venue is open to the public. Not all artworks are on display. If you want to see a particular artwork, please contact the venue.
View venue