Ruiter en bedelaar 1893

Louis Anquetin rendered 'Rider and Beggar' as a brush drawing in black ink, likely in France during the late 19th century. The artwork depicts a mounted rider encountering a beggar, a scene that evokes the stark social divisions of the time. Anquetin made this image amid the artistic ferment in fin-de-siècle Paris, a period marked by growing anxieties about class division. The rider, possibly representing the bourgeoisie, is contrasted against the beggar, a symbol of the disenfranchised. The use of stark black ink enhances this contrast, emphasizing the figures' symbolic weight rather than their individual characteristics. Understanding this drawing requires us to look beyond the image itself and consider the socio-economic context of its creation. Researching the historical conditions in France, including its class structure and the prevailing attitudes toward poverty and wealth, helps us interpret Anquetin's commentary on the social realities of his time.