The Tooth-Puller
1651
Jan Steen loved capturing the chaotic, messy reality of 17th-century Dutch life, and this scene is a perfect example. Here, a flamboyantly dressed charlatan is yanking a tooth from a screaming peasant, turning a painful medical procedure into a public spectacle. The crowd, including wide-eyed children, watches with a mix of horror and amusement, while the 'doctor' carefully collects his coins on a nearby barrel. Steen often used these lively genre scenes to poke fun at human folly and the quack doctors of his day.
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