Belisarius 1675 - 1680

"Belisarius" is a 17th century etching by the Dutch artist Richard Collin. It depicts the aging Byzantine general Belisarius, who was a prominent military leader during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, sitting in a ruined building and begging for alms. This image was widely reproduced and served as a powerful reminder of the instability of fortune in the early modern period. Collin used detailed hatching and cross-hatching to create a dramatic, almost theatrical effect, contrasting the light and shadow within the scene. The work is currently housed at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.