The Young Beggar

Week 1


The Young Beggar

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Bartolom%C3%A9_Esteban_Murillo_-_The_Young_Beggar.JPG
(how to view the painting)



                 This piece of art work depicts a young boy homeless on the streets. He is all alone managing to stay alive on hisown. This particular piece of art work is depicted to be very dark. He is right next to the shadowed area. But the boy seemsto choose to sit in the sun. This painting shows both light and dark areas. However the meaning of the painting seems like itwould be darker. This boy is all alone and their is bugs by him. No bright colors are used in this. There is alot ofbeige and brown. There are still light and dark parts of this painting but nothing that really stands out with a very bright color.
               I think the purpose of this photo is to capture people attention on a personal level. To show people the povertyin the world and how it effects everyone even young children. You often see older people as being homeless but this artist, Bartolome Esteban Murillo, shows a young boy alone with ratty clothes on and barely any food. To me this painting ismeant to catch people by surprise. They see a painting of a young boy all alone and feel sad for him.
              This painting was said to be greatly appreciated by the people at that time. This painting was painted in 1645 to 1950. This is an oil on canvas painting. It is 134 by 110cm. This painting, the young beggar, is currently in LouvreMuseum, in Paris. The quote, "Murillo's interest in the needy perhaps also has something to do with the doctrine of charity of the Franciscans,for whom he frequently worked. Murillo, the last of the great painters of Spain's Golden Age, was above all a religious painter".This quote shows that he was a religious painter and that this painting for Charity was meant for those of the poor. He genuinely cared about the poor and felt obligated to show how some people live through his paintings.