Artwork
Blind Beggar
Blind Beggar is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Pieter van Laer. It dates from 1635 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
The Blind Beggar is a 1635 oil painting by Pieter van Laer, a Dutch artist known for his genre scenes and landscapes of the Roman countryside.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a poignant scene of three figures in a dimly lit space: a seated man, possibly blind, a standing woman with a child, and another man leaning against a stone wall. The somber atmosphere and the figures' interactions invite contemplation on themes of hardship and human connection.
Technique & Style
The work showcases van Laer's use of chiaroscuro, a technique characterized by strong contrasts between light and dark, creating a dramatic and emotionally charged atmosphere. This stylistic choice heightens the sense of introspection and solemnity in the scene.
History & Provenance
Created during the Dutch Golden Age, Blind Beggar is now part of the Alte Pinakothek's collection, exemplifying the genre scene category that van Laer was known for.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pieter Bodding van Laer (christened 14 December 1599, in Haarlem – 1641 or later) was a Dutch painter and printmaker.
Landscape with a wounded Bandit and other Figures
Parable of the Lost Drachma
Jupiter and Mercury at Philemon and Baucis
A Figure in Armour
Night scene with children
Saint Roch
Sleeping girl
Peasants in the Interior (Family Scene)
Puerta arabe (Fantasía sobre la Puerta de del Sol en Toledo)
Blind Tobit and His Wife
The Presentation in the Tempel
Joseph interpreting the dreams of the baker and the butler