In late 1879, the Fine Art Society of London commissioned James McNeill Whistler to travel to Venice to make twelve etchings of the city. The artist planned to return to London after three months, but the allure of the city compelled him to stay for over a year, and he returned with fifty etchings, ninety pastels, and twelve paintings. The Beggars was included in the first set of twelve etchings published by the Society, and it is one of his most successful experiments using dark on light and light on dark.