Beggar Warming his Hands, Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1630
etching, h 77mm × w 46mm More details
The winters of 1629 and 1630 were not extremely cold, but if you lived on the street you had to protect yourself from the low temperatures, for instance with a brazier. Rembrandt keenly observed these rough sides of life, as well as the leprosy sufferer who uses a rattle to warn bystanders of his contagious affliction.
