The Blind Man and his Dog from the series The Beggars (Les Gueux),

ca. 1622–23

One of the finest and most prolific printmakers of his era, Callot represented a wide range of social types, from fashionable aristocrats to destitute peasants. These etchings belong to the artist’s most popular series, The Beggars, and sympathetically depict two impoverished figures with their canine and feline companions. Rather than allegories or metaphors, these pets are sources of comfort and love, protecting their fatigued owners. The hunched, tattered Old Woman warms her hands while her cats provide company. The Blind Man’s downcast face, hidden by his large hat, suggests dignity and humility; although he holds a money box, decorum prevents him from pleading outright. In contrast, his dog looks directly at the viewer with a timid, perhaps suspicious, expression.