It comes as no surprise that many of Rembrandt’s pupils inherited the fascination for images of poverty and disability. This drawing dates from Van den Eeckhout’s maturity, when he has moved away from his master’s energetic drawing style to a smoother and more sensitive manner. Van den Eeckhout exploited the velvety quality of the black chalk to the full in this subtle drawing, which is prominently inscribed in large, elegant letters.2
Notes
1. His mark (Lugt 837) lower left recto. 2 As far as known, the two words don’t make up a saying or proverb.
2. A bedelaer is a beggar and a bestevaer is an old man. In old sources the latter term often has a sympathetic connotation.