Medical Curiosity, Painting For The Doctors’ Lounge In Honor Of Dr. émile Cacault, Paris, 1904

A rare, large, hand-painted canvas, dated and signed “In memory of Louis Parot,” created to mark the thesis defense of Dr. Émile Cacault, who received his medical degree from the Faculty of Paris in July 1904.
This work follows the tradition of on-call room paintings, works produced within the hospital world that blend satire, erudition, and esprit de corps. The precise date, July 16, 1904, corresponds to the very moment of the doctoral defense, giving this canvas a particularly rare documentary value.
The central figure, identified as Dr. Cacault, is depicted in caricature, crowned with a laurel wreath—a symbol of academic distinction—in a deliberately ambiguous scene that oscillates between homage and satire.
One of the major points of interest in this work lies in the explicit presence of well-known figures from late 19th-century French obstetrics:
- Pierre-Constant Budin (1846–1907), a student of Stéphane Tarnier, a founding figure of modern perinatal medicine, head of the obstetrics department at La Charité, founder of the League Against Infant Mortality and the journal *L’Obstétrique*, and a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
- Adolphe Pinard (1844–1934), also a student of Tarnier, a key figure in the modernization of clinical obstetrics and considered the father of French child care. Founder of the prenatal clinic and the Maison Maternelle, he was also politically active in promoting maternal and child welfare.
- Erasme Bonnaire (1858–1918), a student of Stéphane Tarnier, professor of gynecology and obstetrics at the Paris Faculty of Medicine, president of the Paris Society of Obstetrics, and scientific collaborator of Budin and Pinard.
- Alphonse Boissard (1852–1917), obstetrician, department head at several Parisian hospitals (Tenon, Saint-Louis, Lariboisière), president of the Paris Society of Obstetrics, also associated with the work of Budin and Pinard.

Regarding the painter and the painting’s subject, the very structure of the work offers several clues. The inscription “This is my student,” located on the right side of the composition, suggests that Émile Cacault was a student of Boissard. It is likely that the same was true for Louis Parot, who appears to be a classmate of Dr. Cacault. Parot received his medical degree in 1907 and died in 1916 from war injuries. As for Dr. Cacault, he practiced in Bournezeau after his thesis defense.

The presence of these names together is not merely decorative; it reflects a specific environment—that of obstetric training in Paris around 1900—where these figures served as major points of reference for students. The painting functions as a true staging of medical knowledge: formalin jars containing fetuses, handwritten notes, and scientific references—including methylene blue and the Boissard balloon—compose a world that is both rigorous in its sources and deliberately irreverent in its representation.

Paintings of on-call rooms, created in a private and often ephemeral setting, are now sought after for their historical and ethnographic value. This work stands out for the precision of its dating, the identification of its subject, and the richness of its references.

A rare and well-documented work, offering a firsthand account of the doctoral examination in the medical community of Paris in 1904.
At the intersection of medical history, student satire, and ethnographic documentation, it is a prime piece for the discerning collector.

Condition: Good overall condition. The canvas, which was stored rolled up for a long period, shows slight alterations and occasional losses in the paint layer, perfectly consistent with its method of storage. The work remains highly legible and retains all its visual impact.
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Signature: lower left: In memory, Louis Parot.
Dated lower left: July 16, 1904.
Titled: To the famous obstetrician Dr. Em. Cacault.
Dimensions: 79 cm x 70 cm.

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