Refreshing the Thirsty, Michael Sweerts, c. 1646 - c. 1649
oil on canvas, h 72cm × w 97.5cm More details
Sweerts painted his series of the ‘Seven Works of Mercy’ on different kinds of linen. For this painting, he used rather coarse canvas; accordingly, his brushstrokes are broader. Visible in the background of this scene is the church of Santissima Trinità dei Monti in Rome, an allusion to the necessity – then as now – of helping the needy and offering refreshment to the thirsty.
