The Beggar Boy (The Young Pilgrim)

1738–39

Art historians long identified the subject of this painting as a beggar boy; however, it is now believed to portray the artist’s oldest child, Giacomo, in the costume of a pilgrim bound for Santiago de Compostela, Spain, where the apostle James reputedly settled. Carrying a loaf of bread and a rosary, Giacomo sports the hat and staff of a Santiago pilgrim.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (Italian, 1682–1754)

Date

1738–39

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

67.7 × 54.7 cm (26 5/8 × 21 1/2 in.)

Origin

Italy

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Charles H. and Mary F. S. Worcester Collection