1510
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Beggars is a 1510 ink by Lucas van Leyden, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving depicts a scene of three beggars in a landscape. The central figure, a man, is shown in profile, holding a bowl and a staff, with a tree branch above him. To his left, a woman sits on the ground, while another woman kneels beside her, both with their heads covered. The background features a distant landscape with hills and a body of water. The engraving is rendered in fine detail, with intricate lines and textures that give the scene a sense of depth and realism. The use of cross-hatching creates a range of tonal values, from the dark shadows to the light highlights. The level of detail and realism in this engraving is characteristic of the Renaissance style, which emphasized the study of classical models and the use of perspective to create a sense of space. For more information on this style, explore the Renaissance movement.
Lucas van Leyden (1494 – 8 August 1533), was a Dutch painter and printmaker in engraving and woodcut. Lucas van Leyden was among the first Dutch exponents of genre painting and was a very accomplished engraver.
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