Refreshing the Thirsty

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.