Shop art print and framed art Le Jeune mendiant by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

The Young Beggar (in Spanish: El Joven Mendigo) is a genre painting by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo between 1645 and 1650, currently in the Musée du Louvre in Paris. The Sevillian painter is best known for his religious paintings. But, like other Spanish Baroque painters such as José de Ribera and Diego Velázquez, he also produced realistic works. His childlike scenes of beggars and children stand out. This work was probably commissioned by foreign merchants in Seville, given the Flemish taste for genre scenes that reflect everyday life. It is also likely to have been painted under the influence of the Franciscans, for whom Murillo regularly worked. The first of these depictions of urban scampi is this Young Beggar Removing Lice. He may be a beggar or a smart aleck like Tormes's Lazarillo or some of the characters in Cervantes's exemplary short stories. Murillo added an earthenware jug and a basket with apples as accompaniments. On the floor, the remains of prawns and other shellfish. This is a still life in itself, and with these details Murillo demonstrates his great skill in painting a variety of materials and textures. The scene is illuminated by a strong chiaroscuro, typical of the Baroque period and influenced by Caravaggio. The light comes from the window on the left and has a full effect on the boy's seated body, leaving the rest of the room in darkness. The composition is typically Baroque, dominated by diagonal axes. The colour scheme is dominated by yellowish and [...]

 

This artwork is a painting from the classical period. It belongs to the baroque style.

 

« Le Jeune mendiant » is kept at Louvre, Paris, France.

 

Find the full description of Le Jeune mendiant by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo on Wikipedia.