Tobias and the Angel 1474 - 1484

Editor: Here we have Davide Ghirlandaio’s “Tobias and the Angel,” likely completed between 1474 and 1484, painted in tempera on panel. The figures feel quite small in the overall composition; the landscape seems to be the primary subject. What catches your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: Primarily, the orthogonals strike me. Notice how the figures are placed relative to the horizon, creating a very clear perspectival space. Ghirlandaio organizes our viewing experience. Tell me, what is the impact of this linear perspective on your viewing experience? Editor: It feels staged somehow, very controlled. Everything is in its place. Curator: Precisely. The clarity in the rendering, especially of light and shadow, and the spatial logic suggests Ghirlandaio’s interest in geometry as an organizing principle for beauty itself. Consider also the composition; there’s a clear triad: Tobias, the angel, and the dog are echoed formally by the shapes and layering in the hills. Editor: I hadn’t considered that! The formal symmetry, then, reinforces the visual impact, conveying that nothing is out of place? Curator: Indeed. Consider further the treatment of colour. How do the colors interact and what impact does that generate on the work’s meaning? Editor: The colours are bright but somewhat muted overall; there aren’t sharp contrasts between light and dark. The use of reds and blues does provide contrast though, emphasizing the foreground. Curator: Very insightful. By closely analyzing Ghirlandaio’s choices of colour, space and line, we’re beginning to uncover the formal underpinnings of his work and therefore can understand the power that formal structure yields. Editor: I’m starting to look at Early Renaissance art very differently.