Prøveplade: Stående kvinde med en kurv. En lille tigger i hjørnet 1899

This is an etching by Frans Schwartz, made in the late 19th or early 20th century. The dominant figure is a standing woman holding a basket. Her clothing and head covering suggest modesty, perhaps even piety. In the corner, a small, hunched figure begs. This juxtaposition of the woman with a basket, and the beggar at her feet, evokes images of charity, common throughout the Renaissance. The basket appears across time, from classical depictions of offering bearers to the Christian symbol of collecting alms. Its shape shifts, its materials vary, yet its association with nurturing and giving remains constant. One can trace it back to ancient harvest festivals, with the basket symbolizing both the earth’s bounty and our shared responsibility to provide for one another. The motif resonates even now, engaging our subconscious sense of compassion and communal support. These symbolic gestures of kindness serve as a reminder of our collective memory.