The rich man and the poor Lazarus is one of the major historical pieces that Ter Brugghen painted in his last years in Utrecht. The period is characterized by strong contrast between light and dark; massive, three-dimensional forms and sombre, unbroken colours. For aesthetic reasons, a strip of about thirty centimetres (about one foot) was added to the top at a later date.Lazarus suffered from leprosy, a disease that was seen in the Middle Ages and long after as a punishment from God. For this reason and out of fear of infection, people with leprosy were exciled from the cities.