School Of Paris (20th Arrondissement) - Toothache

Oil on panel.

Nothing reveals human vanity more than contemplating how aristocratic refinement yields unconditionally to the most mundane aspects of the human body. Here is our distinguished lady, masterfully draped in a tunic of an almost mystical blue, whose body abandons all salon poise to sink into the earthly misery of excruciating toothache. Reclining in a comfortable armchair—the sole silent witness to her aristocratic lineage— the young woman rests her cheek on her hand in a gesture that could easily be mistaken for existential melancholy, were it not for her distant gaze and the complete bareness of her feet, which immediately betray the urgency of her agony. It is a resounding triumph of realism over etiquette: irrefutable proof that neither the most refined cosmetics, nor the most sumptuous satin, nor the most distinguished furnishings offer any protection when a humble tooth decides to rebel.

- Unframed image dimensions: 70 x 62 cm / 80 x 71.5 cm with an exclusive custom frame.