Artwork
Three Pairs of Beggars with Babies
Three Pairs of Beggars with Babies is a chalk drawing by the Baroque artist Jacob Weyer. It dates from 1664 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Jacob Weyer’s drawing, dated around 1664, depicts six figures arranged in a single line. The group consists of three adult beggars, each accompanied by an infant, and the leftmost figure supports himself with a crutch. All are rendered in loose, ragged attire, emphasizing their impoverished condition.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a stark view of urban destitution, focusing on the interdependence of the adults and their children. By grouping the beggars with their babies, the work underscores the generational continuity of poverty and evokes a compassionate response toward the vulnerable.
Technique & Style
Executed in red chalk on laid paper, the drawing employs fluid, expressive lines characteristic of the Baroque period’s interest in movement and emotion. The warm hue of the chalk lends a subtle intimacy, while the contrast of the paper’s texture enhances the figures’ ragged outlines.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1664, the piece is attributed to Jacob Weyer, a German draftsman active in the mid‑seventeenth century. The drawing has remained in private collections before entering its current institutional holding, where it is catalogued as a representative example of Baroque genre drawing.
Artist & collection
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