Copper Engraving of a Plague Doctor - Paul Fürst, 1656. (Medieval Wall Art)
This vintage art print shows a plague doctor in full beaked mask and long coat, walking with a cane in front of a distant city. The figure stands out clearly against the background text, all printed on a warm parchment style sheet. The long nose of the mask, the wide-brimmed hat and the dark coat give it that strange mix of serious and slightly absurd, so it works well in a study, hallway or reading corner where you want something a bit eerie, but still clean and readable on the wall.
 
About this art print
This print is based on the copper engraving often called Der Doctor Schnabel von Rom (“Doctor Beak of Rome”), published around 1656. by the Nuremberg print seller Paul Fürst. It shows a plague doctor in what people at the time thought of as full “clothing against death”: a long waxed coat, gloves, a wide-brimmed hat and the famous beaked mask. The whole scene was printed as a single-sheet broadside with image and text together, so viewers could see the strange outfit and read about it at the same time.

The verses around the figure are sharp and a bit mocking. They call him Doctor Beak and hint that he may scare people more than he actually helps, which tells us this was meant as a satire as well as a picture of real plague fears. The doctor stands in clear profile, holding his cane, with a distant town and small figures behind him. That simple side view makes it easy to read the long nose of the mask, the stiff coat and the careful distance he keeps from others.
 
Artists of this period often turned worry about death into one strong, focused image. You can feel a similar quiet message in Child With Three Skulls, where a small body and three skulls carry the whole reminder that life is short without any extra drama. Both prints show how early modern viewers were asked to think about illness and mortality by looking at a single, unforgettable figure.
 
Craft & finish
This plague doctor art print is made on hand processed paper, highlighted with subtle gold and sealed with beeswax so it feels close to real parchment when you hold it. The surface catches the light softly on the texture of the paper, but colors can look a little different from screen to screen.
 
You can find more pieces like this in our Vintage Art Prints collection.