Kerkgangers geven een aalmoes aan een bedelaar

Joseph von Führich created this print, *Churchgoers Giving Alms to a Beggar,* sometime in the 19th century. Führich, who lived from 1800 to 1876, situated himself within the Romantic movement which often idealized the medieval era. Here, we see a scene of alleged Christian charity, but the composition tells a more complex story about the social hierarchies of the time. The wealthy couple, adorned in finery, are positioned above the beggar, symbolizing their elevated status. Meanwhile, the beggar is depicted as an outsider, his poverty a stark contrast to the churchgoers' affluence. This image may evoke in us a sense of moral reckoning. What does it mean to perform charity within a society defined by extreme inequality? Führich asks us to consider the ways in which acts of kindness can be fraught with power dynamics and social performance.