Raguel verwelkomt Tobias 1556

Editor: So, this is "Raguel Welcoming Tobias," an engraving from 1556. It's part of the Rijksmuseum collection, though the artist is unknown. What immediately strikes me is the stillness in the scene, despite it depicting an embrace. There's a story here I can’t quite decipher. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, it's a moment of reunion, weighted with anticipation. See the angel Raphael subtly directing the narrative? He’s not just an observer; he’s a facilitator, nudging Tobias towards his destiny, like a stage director with divine insight. And Raguel, well, he’s caught between joy and, perhaps, a touch of apprehension about what’s to come. That dog at their feet seems utterly unbothered! Makes you wonder, what if it had a thought bubble? Editor: Apprehension, yes, I see it now in the way the other figures are posed, almost hesitant. So, is Raphael’s presence a clue that this isn’t just a simple family reunion? Curator: Absolutely! Raphael represents divine intervention, fate itself stepping into the domestic sphere. He elevates the mundane, a welcome home, to something momentous. Those sharp lines of the engraving create such intensity. But I can't help but look past all this linear exactitude to think how such an ordinary scene might have played out... Editor: It's fascinating how the formal style contrasts with the human drama. It gives it a very strange sense of solemnity. Thanks, I really didn't grasp all that at first glance. Curator: My pleasure. Each viewing unveils another layer. Now I’m curious about that dog! I have questions about what sort of afterlife that lucky pet of a faithful master lived.