19th-Century French School

Portrait Of A Man With A Pulled Tooth

19th-Century French School

Portrait Of A Man With A Pulled Tooth

This late 19th-century French school portrait depicts a man holding his own bloodied tooth between some forceps.

He’s taken a long drag on his pipe and yanked it out. It’s intriguing to consider how the portrait came into being - is it to emphasise his teeth-pulling abilities? Is he a dentist? As if to say, “don’t worry, I’ve done this before - it won’t hurt”.

Clearly it would!

The portrait is held in a period giltwood foliate frame.

Medium: Oil on wood
Overall size: 10” x 11½” / 25cm x 30cm
Year of creation: c. 1890
Provenance: Private collection, France.
Condition: Craquelure but the paint is stable. Retouches. Scuffs. Minor losses. Frame with some light wear.

Conservation & History

We care profoundly about our role as custodians and every piece in the collection has been assessed by our conservator. When required, we undertake professional restoration carefully using reversible techniques and adopt a light touch to retain the aged charm of each work. We also often restore frames rather than replace them as many are original and selected by the artists themselves.

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