Beggar (Kojiki)
1871
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1871
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This painting shows an old man in rags, sitting on the ground with a bowl in his hands. His face is worn and tired. The light falls sharply on one side, leaving the other dark. The artist painted this during Japan’s Meiji period, just after the country opened to the world. Beggars were common then, but this one feels real, not just a symbol. Look up Hirafuku Suian (Japanese, 1844–1890) to see more.
