Tobias c. 1829

Curator: This is Ferdinand Anton Krüger's "Tobias," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It has such a formally sentimental air, doesn't it? A very posed piety, almost like a tableau vivant frozen on paper. Curator: Indeed. Krüger, who lived from 1795 to 1857, creates a really interesting study of light and shadow here, using engraving techniques to bring forth texture and depth. Consider the materiality of the print itself. Editor: Right, it's fascinating how Krüger elevates the medium. The narrative itself has a timeless quality, focusing on familial love and divine intervention, yet the printmaking roots it in a world of craft and labor. Curator: It invites us to ponder on the enduring themes of faith and human connection, doesn't it? Editor: Yes, a sentimental story, rendered through the skilled hand and industrial means of its time. A curious intersection.