Refreshing the Thirsty, Michael Sweerts, c. 1646 - c. 1649

Refreshing the Thirsty, Michael Sweerts, c. 1646 - c. 1649

oil on canvas, h 72cm × w 97.5cm More details

Sweerts painted his series of the ‘Seven Works of Mercy’ on different kinds of linen. For this painting, he used rather coarse canvas; accordingly, his brushstrokes are broader. Visible in the background of this scene is the church of Santissima Trinità dei Monti in Rome, an allusion to the necessity – then as now – of helping the needy and offering refreshment to the thirsty.

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