Blind Beggar Bumping A Pillar 1610 - 1677

Thomas Wijck made this print, "Blind Beggar Bumping a Pillar," probably in the 1640s, using the etching technique. This involved drawing with a sharp needle through a wax coating on a metal plate, which was then submerged in acid. The acid would bite into the metal where the wax had been removed, creating lines that could then be inked and printed. The medium is crucial here. Printmaking was a way of disseminating images widely, creating a market for art that was more accessible than painting. Wijck and his contemporaries often turned their attention to everyday life. The image depicts a disabled beggar, caught in an undignified stumble, with other figures looking on. The work is filled with line work to convey the dilapidation of the architecture and the poverty of the figures. The very act of etching—a reproducible medium—mirrors the economic realities of the scene depicted, capturing a transient moment and making it available for consumption. It’s a fascinating intersection of materials, making, and social commentary.