An itinerant microscopist showing animalcules to children in Friesland. Oil painting by a Dutch painter, 1825/1850. "Outside a house by a canal, an old man, seated, wearing a top hat, points to a microscope on a makeshift table. The table is composed of a large chest with straps at the side which enable the man to carry it on his back when travelling. Also on the table are three or four brown wooden dishes, a small white dish, a cloth or paper with a glass slide on it, and a tray with several compartments. To the left and on the further side of the table are six children, one of whom puts his hand into his pocket. On the right, a woman standing, wearing a white bonnet and a blue dress, holding a dish. The showman looks at her and points to the microscope. The microscope is of the Delabarre type. The woman is wearing traditional clothing of Friesland.

Iconographic Collections