Wigs on the Green has dated this piece to the 19th Century.
Although portraiture was mostly the preserve of the educated middle and upper classes, there was also a trend for artists such as Nathaniel Hone and Sampson Towgood Roche to pay beggars to sit as models for them.
Regrettably the identity of this vagrant is not recorded so his story is now lost to history. With his unkempt hair and beard, he is pictured, staff in hand, trudging through the countryside in search of alms and perhaps the odd job.
The portrait is set in a traditional papier-mâché frame with an acorn hanger.
International Shipping: £20
Wigs on the Green has dated this piece to the 19th Century.
Small portraiture of character & historical interest
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Wigs on the Green Profile Page
Character Portrait of a Vagrant
