The Dentist
by HONTHORST, Gerrit van, Oil on canvas, 147 x 219 cm
This canvas was painted after the return of the artist from Italy to the Netherlands. It reveals a thorough adaptation of Caravaggesques prototypes as evidenced by the figural types, the clothing of the dentist and his assistant, the composition, and the bold chiaroscuro effects. However, here the light emanates from a candle, an artificial source generally absent in the work of Caravaggio.