Beggar and Young Woman c. 18th century

Editor: This is Ferdinand Kobell's "Beggar and Young Woman," an undated print at the Harvard Art Museums. The figures are rendered with such fine lines! What can you tell me about it? Curator: Consider the material conditions depicted: the beggar's worn clothing, the young woman's simple garb. Kobell's etching captures not just an image, but the very texture of their lives. How do you think the intended audience would have received it? Editor: It's interesting to think about how this artwork is as much about the lives of the subjects as it is about the artist's technique. Curator: Precisely! It shows how art can be a document of social realities through its very making.