Blind Beggar Bumping A Pillar; this and 63.616.39 (2) are two plates of beggars from the story of Lazaville de Tormes.
Thomas Wijck, 17th century
About this artwork
In the bustling world of 17th-century Dutch genre, Thomas Wijck masterfully captures a poignant moment from the classic Spanish picaresque *Lazarillo de Tormes*. This etching depicts a blind beggar clumsily bumping into a pillar accompanied by scavenging dogs—a vivid illustration of the protagonist's early hardships as a street urchin guided by a cruel master. Wijck, a Dutch artist renowned for his lively scenes of everyday lowlife, infuses the composition with humor and pathos, reflecting the era's fascination with social underclasses during the Dutch Golden Age. Printed as an etching with drypoint in the third state of three, this intimate 13.1 x 11.9 cm plate showcases Wijck's technical prowess. Etching allowed for precise lines evoking architectural columns and textured fur, while drypoint's soft burr adds velvety depth and richness to the figures' ragged forms. As one of two beggar-themed plates from the tale (paired with 63.616.39), it highlights printmaking's role in disseminating literary narratives to a wide audience. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, this work exemplifies how 17th-century prints bridged literature, satire, and social commentary, inviting viewers to ponder the resilience of the marginalized amid opulent times.