Artwork
Beggar Seated on a Bank
Beggar Seated on a Bank is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Costantino Cumano. It dates from 1782 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Beggar Seated on a Bank is a print created by Costantino Cumano in 1782, utilizing etching with engraving on laid paper. The work depicts a seated figure in a state of destitution.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is a rough-looking, barefoot individual dressed in tattered clothing, sitting on a low wall with clasped hands, conveying a sense of poverty and humility.
Technique & Style
The print features scratchy, uneven lines, imparting a raw, unfinished quality. Cumano employed contrasting dark and light marks to suggest texture, notably on the figure's arms and legs.
History & Provenance
Created in 1782, the print exists on old, laid paper, exhibiting smudges and uneven edges characteristic of its age.
Artist & collection
