Analysis of Gerrit Dou's "Dentist by Candlelight" by Liz Rector '09

The piece I have chosen to analyze is Gerrit Dou’s Dentist by Candlelight. A Dutch painter from the 1600’s, Dou began this piece that explores everyday life in 1660 and completed it in 1665. Painted with oil on oak panel (14x10 in.), the piece, which is mostly bathed in blacks and grays, has an eerie lure to it. Entrapped on the oak is a man with his mouth agape, sitting in a wooden chair, wearing a distinct look of anticipating agony. The man looks to the ceiling, where his eyes are met with an alligator hanging from the ceiling; the alligator’s mouth agape as well, with its underbelly aglow. The dentist holds a single candle to the man’s face with one hand, and with the other holds back the patient’s forehead. A concerned wife stands before the man, holding his hand, which is securely fastened to the arm of the chair. The viewer anticipates action, as the scene seems ready to unfold at any moment.

The three people in this situation form a sort of circle through their lit facades and become a circle within a circle. The wife’s hand reaches to the husband’s arm, to his body and face, to the dentist, and then back to the wife. They are also enclosed themselves, within the framework of the structure: the beam. And then the actual frame acts as another means of enclosure. Together this creates a sense that you (the viewer) are an observer in a very intimate and personal setting. It seems as though Dou has done this purposely, creating a balance and symmetry that not only leads the viewer’s eye throughout the piece, but also serves to unify the characters, their actions, and the feeling of entrapment. The patient is very much ‘trapped’ in this situation, just as the viewer’s eyes are as they flow from character to character, from dimly lit object to dimly lit object.

Most of the allure that emanates from this work is created through Dou’s skilled use of using very little actual color, soaking the scene in mostly black. Light and dark play pivotal roles in this piece, which seems to throw away conventional ideas about luminance and vibrant colors importance in art, implementing instead a greater skill with the brush without reliance on light. There are only two sources of light in the room, one a candle held by the dentist, and the other a lamp, which was opened to light the candle. The light aluminates the facades of the characters, causes various shadows in clothing, expressions, drapery, etc. and is bounced off of various objects. Overall though, the light is very sporadic and creates an un-natural feeling. The light does help carry the eye around the characters, but the dark plays a far more important part. The dark creates the eerie tone and makes the light seem precious and little. It lends to the very feeling of the man about to endure pain and shows incredible skill on the part of Dou who breaks through norms and forces the viewer to take in every aspect of the work, right down to the alligator hanging from the ceiling, with only it’s belly lit.

The characters themselves are the next point of obvious interest. The figure’s styles vary in and of themselves, but are each unique in their own right. Each figure is incredibly detailed, with distinguishing garments, stances, and expressions. It is certainly obvious why Dou was so known for his detail and intricacy in such small areas. The characters themselves, are not very large, and seem swallowed by the darkness around them, yet they perfectly convey the emotions for this particular instance. The patient’s expression is somewhat withdrawn from the situation, with his attention purposely directed towards the alligator, trying to avoid the thoughts of any impending pain. Worry can still be seen etched into his face, however, and seen with his hands as one clutches the chair, the other gripping his hat, one can’t help but feel sorry for him. The wife carries most of the concern in her facial expression and through her stance. Hunched over, hand to her chest, other hand on her husband, and obviously distraught, the wife is the very embodiment of concern. The dentist, who, probably caring little, wears no sign of angst on his face, harshly mirrors the wife’s demeanor. From a purely physical standpoint, the three’s positions help create the circular motion with the eye and appear proportional and naturalistic.

The space in which all of this takes place is equally important. Despite the lack of light, the characters and space seem very three-dimensional. The characters, drenched in shadow and various objects catching light helps them come off as three-dimensional. It’s amazing that this can even be accomplished with the lack of light and color but Dou manages despite this, with various objects and the depth of the space. The people are behind the table, the drape behind the arch, the ceiling light canister is before the alligator, and the beam on the ceiling creates the illusion of a further off abyss. With such a limited space and color, it is obvious why Danish scholar Ole Borch said that Dou was “unequaled in the Netherlands and even in all other countries in the world.” (Kimbell)

Overall, the piece remains quite intriguing to me. I first really noticed it when at the Kimbell with my parents a month ago. It immediately spellbound me by it’s intricate detail and unconventional subject matter and execution. It’s so out of the ordinary, yet such a complete display of unparalleled talent that it reaches out to the viewer. The subject matter is such a simple, daily task that we all can relate to (the dentist), and it reaches across time, perhaps better than a social/political piece from the 1600’s would have. I believe this was Dou’s main interest: relating to people, which as such an acclaimed artist is interesting to see. Dou was the founder of fijnschilders (fine painters) of Leiden and unlike many artists, got to see his talent and time come to fruition as fame. I also believe that this piece was a personal demonstration made by him to showcase his ability to do detailed work, enlist emotion, thoughtfully create a good composition, and demonstrate his overall talent. Which I believe he succeeded in doing. There may not be some deeper meaning to this piece, Dou may not have had a pressing issue to communicate, but I would describe this piece to anyone as one of the best demonstrations of raw skill that I’ve ever witnessed.