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This short introduces a portrait that shook 18th-century Paris. What became a topic of conversation was not the clothes or the pose, but a single row of teeth revealed between slightly parted lips. At the time, gossip magazines described this as unprecedented affectation, but in Europe during the same period, dentistry was developing, and hygiene products and cosmetics such as toothbrushes, mouthwash, and lipstick that made teeth appear whiter were emerging. This painting captures the moment when the inside of the mouth transformed from something to be hidden to something to be revealed. The work is Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun's Self-Portrait with Her Daughter Julie (painted in 1786, exhibited at the Salon in 1787). O.N Clinic | Last reviewed 2026-09-14