Roman Charity 1622

Hendrick ter Brugghen's "Roman Charity" (1622) depicts a scene of selfless sacrifice. A young woman, likely the daughter of a prisoner, nourishes her father with her own breast milk. The dramatic use of light and shadow, characteristic of the Utrecht Caravaggisti style, highlights the figures' emotional intensity. This scene, inspired by Roman legend, became a popular subject in Dutch Baroque art.