Tobit c. 18th century

Curator: What strikes me first is the intense energy captured in this black-and-white engraving. It feels almost theatrical. Historian: Indeed. This is "Tobit" by Gabriel Smith, who lived from 1724 to 1783. It’s based on the Book of Tobit, part of the Old Testament Apocrypha. Curator: The angel pointing... It's like he's staging the whole scene! And the way the fish is presented... it's not just caught, it's… offered. Historian: It depicts the moment when the angel Raphael instructs Tobiah on how to use the fish's gall to cure his father's blindness. The image was likely intended to be didactic. Curator: Ah, so the drama underscores a moral lesson. It makes you wonder about how the audience at the time responded to such a piece. Historian: The religious and social implications were significant; these images reinforced biblical literacy. Curator: Fascinating how such a stark image can be a window into the artistic and cultural landscape of the 18th century. Historian: Precisely. It shows us how art served a didactic purpose and influenced popular religious understanding.