3-016-143 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Old beggar woman with a gourd, c.1629. Enveloped in partial darkness and clad in ragged clothes, the old beggar woman turns away from the viewer. Rembrandt's striking use of black against white denies the viewer a glimpse at the woman's face while allowing the viewer to notice the unusual gourd attached to her back, providing a container for water. The viewer cannot discern where the woman is or what she is doing, but she appears alone and somewhat helpless, a subject worthy of compassion.