Artwork
En gammel tigger ved døren får almisse af husets børn
En gammel tigger ved døren får almisse af husets børn is an oil painting by the German Romanticist artist Johann August Krafft. It dates from 1821 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Johann August Krafft’s 1821 canvas, titled *En gammel tigger ved døren får almisse af husets børn*, portrays a modest domestic scene. The work is part of the collection of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is displayed among other early‑nineteenth‑century genre paintings.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on an elderly, rag‑clad figure standing in an open doorway, receiving a small offering from a group of children inside the house. The children, dressed in lighter garments, extend a coin or token toward the beggar, suggesting an act of charity that highlights the moral virtue of generosity toward the poor.
Technique & Style
Krafft employs a restrained palette and clear delineation of forms, using contrasts of light and shadow to separate the figures from the interior space. The subtle chiaroscuro creates depth, while the careful rendering of textures—such as the roughness of the beggar’s coat against the smoothness of the furniture—underscores the painting’s realistic, genre‑type approach.
History & Provenance
Executed in 1821, the painting entered the national collection of Denmark and is now housed at the Statens Museum for Kunst. Its provenance reflects the museum’s 19th‑century acquisition policy, aimed at preserving works that illustrate everyday life and moral narratives from the period.
Context
Krafft’s work belongs to a broader European tradition of genre painting that emphasized moral lessons through domestic scenes. In the early 1800s, artists often depicted charitable acts to reflect Enlightenment ideals and the growing social awareness of poverty in urban settings.
Artist & collection
