The Tooth Puller
1628
Gerard van Honthorst, a Dutch master famous for his dramatic lighting (earning him the nickname 'Gerard of the Nights'), captures a chaotic 17th-century fairground scene where a gleeful 'dentist' yanks a tooth from a terrified patient. While the victim winces in the chair, a motley crew of onlookers—including a man casually clutching a duck—watch with a mix of horror and fascination. This Baroque masterpiece from 1628 proves that a trip to the dentist has always been a painful spectacle, turning a gruesome street procedure into a moment of dark comedy.
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