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.
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.
Artist & collection
Artist
Sir William Newzam Prior Nicholson (5 February 1872 – 16 May 1949) was a British painter of still-life, landscape and portraits.
