The Beggars cycle of drawings is considered the finest work of the academically trained painter and graphic artist Ivan Kos. His artistic oeuvre is characterised by social genre depictions, portraits, vedutas of Maribor and landscapes. Despite some stylistic detours, Kos always remained a realist. The Beggars cycle was created in the early 1930s, at the time of the economic crisis that pushed many into poverty. During and after his studies in Prague, Kos, too, found himself in dire straits. This ink-drawn depiction, as well as other works in the Beggars cycle, reflects the artist’s deep understanding of the socially underprivileged, whose mental state he presents with compelling pity. The posture and absent gaze of the older seated man are extremely expressive. His wrinkled face, which is painted in great detail, conveys distress, which is particularly evident from his sad eyes. Nevertheless, in spite of his tragic fate, he appears calm. All Kos’ beggars are depicted in a dignified manner. They convey hardship and - subtly, not sentimentally - express their character. It is evident that while creating this cycle, Kos tried to identify as closely as possible with the beggars’ experience and understand their restlessness, despair and misery. This is why he succeeds in expressing their emotions so well and so realistically.
(Barbara Lešnik, in the framework of the Creative Path to Knowledge project, Virtual Legends; The investment is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Social Fund)