The doctor’s visit to a patient in hospital is a much anticipated event. Like Kafka’s bewildered man awaiting trial, any news of his case could be a turning point that leads to action, improvement, or even release from the institution. The doctors are important, so much so they travel with an entourage of residents and students. Each case is a learning situation, though possibly not for the patient himself, who has been symbolically left out of the picture. In fairness to the doctors, it should be noted that Robert created a matching picture called Patients, which shows a ghoulish line of sad and dispiriting cases. When Robert shows doctors interacting with patients, one on one, he is much more sympathetic.