Who painted The Beggars: The Hurdy-Gurdy Player?

The Beggars: The Hurdy-Gurdy Player was painted by Jacques Callot in 1623.

Where can I see The Beggars: The Hurdy-Gurdy Player?

The Beggars: The Hurdy-Gurdy Player is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is The Beggars: The Hurdy-Gurdy Player?

The Beggars: The Hurdy-Gurdy Player is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

The Beggars: The Hurdy-Gurdy Player

Jacques Callot , 1623

The Beggars: The Hurdy-Gurdy Player is a print by the Baroque artist Jacques Callot. It dates from 1623 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 2008.34.2
Credit line: The Jane B. Tripp Charitable Lead Annuity Trust

About this work

Overview

The Beggars: The Hurdy-Gurdy Player is a print by Jacques Callot, created around 1623, and is now held at The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a man playing a hurdy-gurdy, dressed in tattered clothing with a low-hung hat, scuffed boots, and rolled-up sleeves, suggesting a beggar or itinerant musician.

Technique & Style

The artist achieved a strong contrast between the figure and the plain background through the use of sharp, dark lines and shadows, creating depth in the subject's clothing and face.

Context

The use of strong contrasts between light and dark is characteristic of the chiaroscuro technique, a stylistic device often employed in 17th-century art to create a sense of volume and depth.

Artist & collection

Artist

Jacques Callot

Jacques Callot (French: ; c. 1592 – 1635) was a baroque printmaker and draftsman from the Duchy of Lorraine. He is an important person in the development of the old master print. He made more than 1,400 etchings that…