Artwork
Tooth Extractor (Tooth Puller)
Tooth Extractor (Tooth Puller) is an oil painting. It dates from 1590 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The work is an oil painting on a circular wooden panel that depicts a cramped interior scene.
About this work
Overview
The work is an oil painting on a circular wooden panel that depicts a cramped interior scene. A woman wearing a red headscarf is engaged in extracting a tooth from a man who clutches the table, his expression contorted in pain. A second woman stands nearby, holding a cup, while a window reveals a modest town with a church steeple beneath a muted sky.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a moment of domestic medical practice, emphasizing the physical strain and emotional tension of the procedure. The contrast between the vivid red of the headscarf and the subdued surroundings underscores the intensity of the act, while the onlookers’ presence suggests a communal involvement in the painful rite.
Technique & Style
The artist employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, using deep shadows to frame the figures and a limited light source to highlight the central action. Impasto is evident in the rendering of the scarf and the man's flesh, giving texture that draws the eye to the focal points. The dark background serves to amplify the saturated reds and flesh tones.
Context
Set within a simple room that opens onto a townscape, the painting situates a private, perhaps rural, episode against a broader communal backdrop. The inclusion of the church steeple beyond the window hints at the everyday life of the period, where medical care was often administered in domestic settings.
Artist & collection
