The Plague Doctor's Parody: Ridiculing François Chicoyneau during the Great Plague of Marseille, 1720-1722.

Abstract

During the Great Plague of Marseille (1720-1722), several prints of a masked plague doctor appeared that feature the name of François Chicoyneau, the then-chancellor of the medical faculty at the University of Montpellier who was sent to the afflicted city to report on the situation to the Royal Court. These images became a famous visual symbol of the epidemic, but their meaning and significance have not yet been examined in the context of their connection with Chicoyneau. This article provides that context, noting that Chicoyneau opposed any form of protective equipment. His views on the nature of the epidemic encountered much resistance, but his elevated position and connections gave his opinions significant weight and dissuaded contemporaries from challenging him directly. These prints were intended, therefore, to ridicule Chicoyneau rather than to document actual worn outfits. This analysis challenges the assumption that full-body outfits, including beak masks, were commonly used as protection against the plague in history; the equipment was considered as risible then as it is now.