Beggar seated on a bank after 1630

This small print was made anonymously, using etching – a graphic technique where acid bites into a metal plate, leaving lines for ink to sit in. Think about the labor involved. The artist had to carefully coat the plate with wax, scratch away the design, and then submerge the plate in acid. Then, the ink applied and the image transferred to paper. But why choose etching? Prints like this made images affordable and widely accessible at the time. It’s a medium perfectly suited to portray scenes of everyday life, and in this case, poverty. The figure’s clothing looks worn and heavy, his expression is one of resignation and weariness. The etcher’s marks capture these qualities. Far from high art, this image brings us face-to-face with the realities of social inequality and speaks to a world far beyond the gallery walls.