In the Middle Ages, leper houses were built across large parts of Europe. People with leprosy were isolated in these houses from the rest of the population to reduce the risk of infection. Artist Werner van den Valckert painted the board of the Amsterdam Leper House, which stood very close to the current city hall.
During the Roman conquests and the Crusades, leprosy spread rapidly throughout Europe. This infectious disease was highly contagious and affected the nerves. This caused paralysis and parts of the body became numb. People with leprosy did not feel when they bumped into something or had wounds. They developed large wounds, deformities, and even became blind. They looked, roughly speaking, hideous.
Punishment from God
Leprosy was seen as an individual punishment from God. The disease was also called the ‘disease of Lazarus,’ after the rich man and the poor Lazarus from the Bible. The story tells of a wealthy man living in luxury and abundance, while at his gate lies the sick Lazarus, who is hungry and covered with sores.
Wealth must be shared
Lazarus hopes to beg for scraps of food from the rich man, but all he gets are dogs licking his sores. The man celebrates and does not look at Lazarus. When Lazarus dies, angels take him to heaven. But the rich man ends up in hell after his death, where he suffers. From hell, the rich man sees Lazarus and begs for mercy, but the gap between them is too great. The parable emphasizes that wealth must be shared and that ignoring your neighbor has consequences.
Straight to heaven
Because of this story, leprosy was seen not only as punishment but also as a sign of Gods grace. Like Lazarus, the person with leprosy would avoid purgatory after death and go straight to heaven.
Close to the current city hall
In Amsterdam, all inhabitants with leprosy were forced to live together in the Leper House Sint Antoniegasthuis at the corner of Jodenbreestraat and Lazarussteeg. Approximately where Mr. Visserplein is now located. The name Lazarussteeg referred to the poor Lazarus. And the current Waterlooplein was formerly called Leprozenburgwal, named after the Leper House. The Leper House was thus very close to the location of the current city hall.
Koppertjes Monday
Once a year, the lepers were allowed into the city on the first Monday after Epiphany. This was called Koppertjes Monday and was celebrated by the people of Amsterdam. There was even a leper procession in which people with leprosy paraded over the Dam. Sometimes walking, sometimes sitting in sleds pulled by horses.
Painting in the boardroom
The Leper House was run by 4 male regents who handled the finances, and 3 female regents who took care of household management. Additionally, there was a house father (the supervisor and daily manager), 2 house mothers (household tasks and the medical department), a doorman, an assistant, and a bookkeeper. In the boardroom hung paintings depicting the regents and female regents, the so-called regents pieces, which painters earned very well from.
Four regents and the house father
Werner van den Valckert was one of the painters asked to depict the regents on canvas. His painting ‘Four regents and the house father of the leper house in Amsterdam’ shows, as the title suggests, the 4 regents of the Leper House and the house father. The regents sit at a table on which a book, documents, an inkstand, and a small scale are placed. We know their names: Sieuwerd Sem (one of the 250 richest Dutchmen in the 17th century), Hendrick van Bronckhorst, Ernst Roeters, and Dirck Vlack. The name of the house father is unknown.
Miserly
Behind the regents, the story of poor Lazarus and the rich man is depicted in relief. Somewhat ironic. Because the parable of poor Lazarus was not closely followed by the regents. The Leper House was rich. Good money was made from proveniers, people who bought their stay and care in the leper house, and fishing in the Ziekewater. Additionally, the Leper House owned a former monastery with associated buildings and land. And the regents did not want to share that wealth. The city government repeatedly had to force them to financially support other poor relief institutions.
Typical. How much money would Van der Valckert have received for his painting?
The Collection
The collection of the Rijksmuseum consists of more than a million artworks, publications, and visitor stories. You can admire the collection not only in the museum but also online. In the series The Collection, we pick an Amsterdam painting, print, or drawing from the Rijksmuseum collection each time and provide context. This time Four regents and the house father of the leper house in Amsterdam by Werner van den Valckert.