In 1787, Élisabeth Louise Vigée-Le Brun debuted her latest self-portrait at the prestigious Paris Salon. In it, her lips are parted in a demure smile; she cradles her young daughter, effusing maternal intimacy.
Vigée-Le Brun’s display of teeth at the time was considered “an affectation which artists, connoisseurs, and people of good taste are unanimous in condemning”, but it revolutionised the “natural smile” we know today.