The Beggars

Honoré Daumier

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows six people standing closely together, facing the left, mostly seen from the waist up. The scene is heavily shadowed, and the facial features of the people are mostly made of dark lines. Most of them have downturned mouths, and they all have pale skin. The individuals appear to be a mix of men and women of a variety of ages. In the center appears to be an old, balding man with a bare torso. Behind him and to the right is a person with a white cap on their head and a blue cloak or jacket. In the back of the group, on the right, is a short person, perhaps a child, who also appears to have a bare torso. In the front of the group, on the left, there are three people who appear to have dark hair and simple clothing. The background is dark and shadowed, with some vertical lines and angles suggesting the gray walls of buildings. The scene is illuminated by a yellowish light.”