The painting shows the visit by a doctor to the cottage of a sick man, who is being watched over by his wife. The name of the picture, originally 'Hush! Let Him Sleep', was altered by 1897 (probably by Faed) to 'The Doctor’s Visit', presumably to make clear the identity of the caller framed in the doorway to the left. The painting is of a type frequently executed by Faed, namely, the portrayal of illness and death. Other works by Faed, in the same vein, include 'From Dawn to Sunset', which shows various generations of a family gathered in the presence of an ailing parent or grandparent and 'Worn Out', which depicts an exhausted father who has finally fallen asleep, having watched over his sick child through the night.