English: Full-length depictions of beggars and peasants were distinctive subjects for artists of Lorraine (centered in the city of Nancy). The canvas used for this painting was not carefully prepared, and it may have been only intended for a temporary use, such as for a theatrical production. Given the secretive character of the man depicted, peering at us through a hole in his hat, the painting may have had a particular appeal for its previous owner, the American publisher, diplomat, and arts administrator Michael Straight (1931-2004), who was a spy for some years in the employ of the former Soviet Union before renouncing his past.