En herre giver en drikkeskilling til en mand med to børn 1763 - 1843

Heinrich Grosch created this delicate line etching, titled 'A gentleman gives alms to a man with two children’, now at the SMK, with no exact date assigned to it. The oval composition, defined by subtle hatching, focuses on a transaction set against a sketched landscape. Observe how Grosch uses line to differentiate social status. The giver, in refined attire, extends a hand, his form meticulously detailed. Contrast this with the rougher, more simply rendered figure of the recipient. He is barefoot, with less-defined features, and is burdened with children. The etching’s graphic structure emphasizes a clear social divide. The act of charity becomes a study in contrasts. Is Grosch merely representing a scene, or is he critiquing the structures that necessitate such exchanges? Perhaps the artwork invites reflection on the power dynamics inherent in acts of giving. Grosch prompts us to consider the systems that perpetuate inequality.