Jacobus Luberti Augustini: The regents of the lazar house of Amsterdam (1773)

(Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

A painting by the Dutch artist Jacobus Luberti Augustini (1748-1822). A lazar house or leper colony was a place to quarantine people with leprosy (the name lazar house refers to Saint Lazarus). Most medieval cities had a lazar house which was typically located outside of the city. The lazar house of Amsterdam was moved several times, every time when the city expanded and the house came within the citywalls. During the 17th century the number of lepers had declined to such a low rate, at which it was decided that the lazar house was redesigned for the mentally ill and 'proveniers' (people who lived for free in a house after paying a sum of money). Eventually the lazar house of Amsterdam was demolished in 1867. This painting shows the 4 male regents of the lazar house (it also had 3 female regents): the male regents were responsible for the financies, the female regents were responsible for the management of the household. The other two men on the painting is the secretary and a 'binnenvader' (literally 'inner father'), the man who was in charge of the complex when the regents were not around. Painting from 1773.