Standing Beggar 1613 - 1652

This drawing, "Standing Beggar," was made by Jan Both, likely in the 1640s, using black and white chalk on blue paper. The choice of materials here is really telling. Chalk is immediate, easily worked. The blue paper is tinted, giving the image a built-in atmospheric quality. And the very subject of the drawing – a beggar – reinforces the sense of an artist working quickly, capturing a fleeting impression. It's tempting to see this as simply a study of a down-and-out figure. But consider the labor involved: the beggar's labor, of course, the struggle to survive in a society that often disregards the poor. And also Both's labor, as an artist making his way in the world. Drawings like this were often made as preparation for paintings, a kind of visual note-taking. So, "Standing Beggar" isn't just a picture. It’s a record of human exchange, a transaction of looking and representing, with social implications embedded in every chalk mark.