Étude de Mandiants (Study of Beggars)

François-Philippe Charpentier, after Jean-Baptiste Greuze, published by Pierre-François Basan

National Gallery of Art

The etching shows the full bodies of five people, including a woman, two young children, and two infants. The woman is standing with a side profile, carrying an infant in her arms and another on her back. Her facial features are partially obscured, but she has a prominent nose and is wearing a bonnet that covers most of her hair. The two young children stand closely beside her, one boy and one girl, both with soft features and curly hair. The woman is clad in a long, flowing dress with layered fabric that appears worn and tattered, while the children wear simple garments. One child behind the woman wears a headscarf. The infant in her arms wears a simple wrap, and the other infant on her back is bundled in a striped cloth. The background of the image is plain and minimal. The etching is titled "ETUDE DE MANDIANTS" at the bottom, and appears in a sepia tone.