Artwork
A tooth-drawer holding up a tooth after extracting it from a patient
A tooth-drawer holding up a tooth after extracting it from a patient is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gerrit Dou. It dates from 1672 and is held in the collection of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.
About this work
Overview
This 1672 oil painting by Gerrit Dou portrays a tooth extraction scene, characteristic of the Dutch Golden Age's focus on everyday life. The work showcases Dou's meticulous detail, a hallmark of the Leiden *fijnschilders*.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures a tense moment: an older tooth-drawer, having just extracted a tooth, holds it up for display, while a child patient reacts with wide eyes. The scene conveys the intimacy and drama of a commonplace 17th-century procedure.
Technique & Style
Dou employs chiaroscuro, contrasting a dark background with a brightly lit red curtain, to draw sharp focus on the two central figures. The detailed rendering of textures—from the tooth-drawer's clothing to the metal tools—exemplifies the *fijnschilders*' refined approach.
History & Provenance
Created by Gerrit Dou, a student of Rembrandt, in 1672, the painting is now part of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Gerrit Dou (pronounced ; 7 April 1613 – 9 February 1675), also known as Gerard Douw or Dow, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, whose small, highly polished paintings are typical of the Leiden fijnschilders.
