The blindness of Tobit 1629

Curator: Here we have Rembrandt van Rijn’s "The Blindness of Tobit," created around 1629. The etching utilizes ink on paper. My first thought is, it is such an evocative sketch! You immediately feel for this solitary, elderly figure. What does the image evoke for you? Editor: Formally, it strikes me by its composition of dark lines, particularly the cross-hatching which not only defines forms, but also seems to isolate Tobit from any implied background, drawing the viewer’s attention directly to his figure. Curator: Absolutely, he masterfully uses light and shadow—or lack thereof, considering his blindness—to intensify the emotional resonance. It’s from the Book of Tobit, where Tobit goes blind after bird droppings fall in his eyes. Can you almost feel that sting? Editor: Precisely. The dense hatching serves to highlight his predicament and emotional distress, especially how Rembrandt juxtaposes textures to further heighten the tension. Notice how the door frame is angular and stark, and how those vertical lines on the robe create almost an independent visual rhythm. Curator: The use of line does feel restless here, like Tobit, you know? There’s this incredible sensitivity, this almost painful vulnerability he captures, especially given he had barely reached his early twenties when he did this! Editor: The rapid, somewhat chaotic strokes indicate his virtuosity in mark-making but, perhaps more importantly, also effectively communicates Tobit's internal struggle. Consider also the way that Rembrandt contrasts negative space; areas seemingly left unfinished help frame our understanding, pushing our awareness toward key details. Curator: I always feel Rembrandt uses ink the way other artists use paint—with such nuance that transcends mere illustration. I am moved. Editor: Ultimately, "The Blindness of Tobit" offers a profound example of how formal techniques and the handling of the medium of etching can profoundly influence our understanding of an image’s narrative and its thematic substance. It’s the sum of all the choices Rembrandt made that yields the evocative picture that is put on display. Curator: True. It makes me wonder what I choose and how I can have them sum up to something profound too.