Novitiate Mendicants

Richard Rothwell's Novitiate Mendicants from around 1837 depicts young religious novices begging, a subject that combined the Romantic interest in picturesque poverty with observation of Catholic religious practice. Rothwell was an Irish painter who studied under Thomas Lawrence and developed a reputation for expressive portraits and genre scenes. His paintings of Italian and Irish subjects reflect the Romantic fascination with Catholic devotional culture.

Rothwell's oil-on-canvas technique demonstrates the influence of Thomas Lawrence in the warm palette and fluent brushwork. The atmospheric treatment of the figures and the expressive characterization show his skill in combining portraiture with narrative genre painting.