Diefstal tijdens tandartsbezoek 1629 - 1670

Editor: Here we have Jacques Dassonville's etching, "The Dental Theft," likely from the mid-17th century. It seems…chaotic, yet domestic. The scene is quite cramped, with lots of figures clustered around what appears to be a makeshift dental surgery. What stories do you think Dassonville is trying to tell in this intricate tableau? Curator: Stories? Plural? Oh, darling, I think Dassonville is spinning a whole yarn basket here! Notice how all eyes except one are on the fellow getting his tooth yanked? Where is the other looking? Down. Follow it to the sitting fellow who seems quite focused on his hands in a very nefarious fashion... Is the title actually a commentary of a greater evil? Or perhaps a cheeky comment on the unregulated medical practices of the time? I also find it intriguing the artist only used etching to create such an elaborate art piece, I find it quite beautiful. Editor: Oh wow, I completely missed that potential pickpocket! It really adds a whole new layer. So, you're suggesting Dassonville isn't just showing a dental procedure, but also commenting on society's underbelly? Curator: Precisely! Art is rarely ever one-dimensional, sweet pea. Every stroke, every shadow, is a whisper, a clue, to deeper meanings. Now, what else tickles your fancy about this little drama? Perhaps the patient, whose eyes are so deeply shut? Editor: Now that you mention it, I suppose there is a lot to tell in the reaction on the face, a commentary on emotion itself maybe? It all makes you wonder! Curator: Exactly, and with that it comes full circle. Sometimes, the extraction of a tooth mirrors the extraction of truth or wealth, wouldn’t you agree? This etching makes me want to keep my money where I can see it.