Beggar with Two Crutches
1632
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1632
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Beggar with Two Crutches is a 1632 ink by Johannes van Vliet, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a hunched figure walking away from us, leaning on two crutches. The person’s clothes are loose and worn, with a feather sticking out of their hat. One hand holds a small round object, maybe a coin or a ball. To the right, a bush with flowers grows near a small animal—maybe a rabbit—lying on the ground. The artist used quick, rough lines to show the person’s struggle. This style fits the way many artists in the 1600s drew ordinary people, not just kings or saints. Next, look up etching to see how this technique works.
