The blind leading the blind. Oil painting after Pieter Bruegel.

Galleries and Reading Room

Library

Shop

Café

From January 2026 Wellcome Collection will close at 18.00 on Thursdays.

We're running paid user research studies to improve Wellcome Collection online

Take part in research

<p>Christ's parable, Matthew XV:14 "If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch". The eye conditions have been identified with disease-names as follows:  (left to right) pemphigoid, (not identifiable), phthisis bulbi, corneal leucoma, enucleation. For discussion as to whether such medical matters are compatible with the spiritual theme of the painting, see Richter, loc. cit.</p>
<p>"An extraordinary representation of six blind men in movement; it can even be seen as a Duchamp-like study of the tentative movements of one blind man as he walks, hurries, runs, begins to fall and finally collapses helplessly into the ditch" (Lorne Campbell, The Burlington magazine, June 2019, vol. 161, p. 501)</p>

The blind leading the blind. Oil painting after Pieter Bruegel.

Licence and re-use