Men and women beggars 1630

Wenceslaus Hollar made this etching of men and women beggars in the 17th century. Hollar, who was born in Prague, lived through the turmoil of the Thirty Years’ War. This etching captures some of the social consequences of that conflict. Through the work we get an image of the material conditions of 17th century life. The politics of the period were dominated by religious conflict, as the Protestant and Catholic states of Europe fought for dominance. But, as always, it was the poor who suffered most. The artist, who trained in Prague and then worked in prosperous trading cities such as Frankfurt and Cologne, would have been acutely aware of the social disruption caused by the war and economic hardship. To understand this image better, scholars consult a variety of sources, from municipal records, through to pamphlets and news-sheets that give insight into the experience of Hollar’s contemporaries.