Vilnius whippers

Begging was always an inseparable part of life in Vilnius, since giving alms was considered to be an expression of Christian love for one’s neighbour. In the 17th and 18th centuries, beggars formed brotherhoods, with their own membership, hierarchies, rules and fees. These brotherhoods defended their members from strangers who would come and beg, and for that reason they elected whippers to expel strangers from the city. Hoppen reflected this practice in his etching Vilnius whippers: whippers are fiercely chasing away a group of poor and disabled people, and in contrast to this, a luxurious carriage is arriving at St George’s Church with a mounted escort.

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album VILNIUS. TOPOPHILIA II (2015). Compiler and author Laima Laučkaitė
Expositions: “Vilnius. Topophilia. Views of Vilnius from the collection of the law firm Ellex Valiunas”, 5 October – 26 November 2017, National Gallery of Art, Vilnius (curator Laima Laučkaitė) "Vilnius Time", 5 June 2023 – 1 May 2024, Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curators Ieva Burbaitė and Emilija Vanagaitė.

Begging was always an inseparable part of life in Vilnius, since giving alms was considered to be an expression of Christian love for one’s neighbour. In the 17th and 18th centuries, beggars formed brotherhoods, with their own membership, hierarchies, rules and fees. These brotherhoods defended their members from strangers who would come and beg, and for that reason they elected whippers to expel strangers from the city. Hoppen reflected this practice in his etching Vilnius whippers: whippers are fiercely chasing away a group of poor and disabled people, and in contrast to this, a luxurious carriage is arriving at St George’s Church with a mounted escort.

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album VILNIUS. TOPOPHILIA II (2015). Compiler and author Laima Laučkaitė
Expositions: “Vilnius. Topophilia. Views of Vilnius from the collection of the law firm Ellex Valiunas”, 5 October – 26 November 2017, National Gallery of Art, Vilnius (curator Laima Laučkaitė) "Vilnius Time", 5 June 2023 – 1 May 2024, Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curators Ieva Burbaitė and Emilija Vanagaitė.