Scene of Contemporary Life: The Quack Dentist

A woman sitting on a chair and a young man standing to her right wait in pain before they will be treated by a quack dentist, seen at their side preparing his surgical tools. This subject seems to have been popular with Domenico Tiepolo, who included it not only in his celebrated series of Scenes of Contemporary Life but also in at least three painted versions. As in many of the Contemporary Life drawings, the depiction of the crowd includes a range of caricatures. -- Exhibition Label, from "Drawn to Greatness: Master Drawings from the Thaw Collection"
Watermark: Three graduated crescents above Soto Imperiale. Watermark, transmitted infrared, crescents, moon, soto imperiale 247044wm_2017_256_WM_transmIR.tiff