Collection

Beggar with a Dog

Pu-Qua

  • Beggar with a Dog 2
Basic information
ID
Г-IV-5531/29
Author
Pu-Qua
Name
Beggar with a Dog
Date of creation
late 17th – early 18th c.
Country
China
Culture
Far East
Technique
etching watercolor embossing
Material
Indian ink paper
Dimensions (height x width, cm)
29.3 x 24.4
Information about author
Author
Pu-Qua
Artist's lifetime
1494–1552
Biography
Chinese artist
Object description
A man with a beard, in a straw hat, is depicted in profile with a turn to the right. He is wearing a gray shirt and trousers. On his shoulders there is a short cape. There are torn fabric shoes on his feet. The man is resting upon a wooden structure in the form of two pairs of parallel bars knocked together at an angle of 90 degrees ("L") and connected to one another. The man is accompanied by a dog, which is trained to step on the end of the bar that hits a small wooden vessel. There is also a willow bowl for alms in the beggar’s hand. The etching comes from the album "Chinese Customs and National Costumes", which includes 60 images of Chinese people engaged in various activities. Each image is accompanied by an explanation in German; some of them are written in French. In the eighteenth century, artists in Canton (Guangzhou) in southern China created such paintings for Europeans seeking to learn more about China and its people.
Inscriptions
In the lower left corner, there is a calligraphic inscription "Pu-Qua.Canton. Delin'' made in Indian ink. In the lower right corner, there is an inscription "Dadley.London.Sculpt". There is a number "29" in the upper right corner.