Artwork
An Alphabet: B is for Beggar
An Alphabet: B is for Beggar is a print by the Impressionist artist William Nicholson. It dates from 1897 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 2010.628
- Credit line
- Gift of John Bonebrake
About this work
This print is part of a full alphabet series Nicholson made for a publisher who loved art and books.
You see a thin man in tattered clothes, standing with a small bundle on a stick over his shoulder. A dog walks beside him. The background is plain and pale.
This print is part of a full alphabet series Nicholson made for a publisher who loved art and books. He used strong outlines and flat shapes, like Japanese woodcuts. The style gives the image a quiet, simple power. It shows daily struggle without drama.
Look next at the subject: england, 19th century. (Word count: 98)
Overview
"An Alphabet: B is for Beggar" is a print by the British artist Edward Nicholson, created as part of a complete alphabet series commissioned by the publisher William Heinemann. The image depicts a gaunt, rag‑clad figure carrying a modest bundle, accompanied by a dog, set against an unadorned pale background. The work exemplifies Nicholson’s interest in everyday subjects rendered with restrained visual power.
Technique & Style
Nicholson adopted compositional strategies drawn from Japanese ukiyo‑e woodcuts, employing a limited palette, bold outlines and flattened planes of color. He carved the image in woodblocks for an initial hand‑colored edition, then reproduced it in larger runs as a color lithograph. The simplified silhouettes and solid backgrounds eliminate depth, focusing attention on the stark figure and its surroundings.
Subject & Meaning
The print presents a solitary beggar, his tattered attire and modest load suggesting the hardships of urban poverty in 19th‑century England. The accompanying dog adds a note of companionship, while the plain backdrop isolates the figure, emphasizing the quiet dignity of daily struggle without overt sentimentality.
History & Provenance
The series was the first of several alphabetic print projects Nicholson produced for Heinemann, a publisher known for valuing artistic innovation as much as commercial success. After the limited hand‑colored woodcut issue, the images were issued more widely as color lithographs, extending their reach to a broader readership interested in both literature and visual art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Sir William Newzam Prior Nicholson (5 February 1872 – 16 May 1949) was a British painter of still-life, landscape and portraits.
