Tobias and the Angel n.d.

Curator: Right, let’s turn our attention to this intriguing print, "Tobias and the Angel". It’s attributed to Titian and is rendered in ink on paper. I find the delicate washes of grey quite evocative. Editor: It feels very dreamlike, doesn’t it? Ethereal even, especially with the soft, cloud-like background. There’s a definite sense of otherworldly guidance here. The angel's hand gestures toward a destiny, I suppose. Curator: Precisely! The narrative stems from the Book of Tobit, part of the Old Testament Apocrypha. Here, the Archangel Raphael guides young Tobias on a journey that leads to healing and restoration for his father. Notice the dog, too! Editor: Oh yes, always loved the companion dog. The domesticity balances the lofty subject somehow. Speaking of balance, I think this work highlights power dynamics so central to both the bible and our current reality: between humans and celestial beings, the vulnerable and the powerful. It kind of reflects who gets access and resources, versus who guides or provides them. Who is privileged to seek help, and who gets divinely chosen to give it. Curator: It’s compelling to consider how stories—especially biblical ones—echo through time. It also makes you think about accessibility, in terms of who could read, who could afford art and in that, have a shot at divine connection...It brings it to real terms! Editor: The fact that this is a print— a potentially more accessible art form— perhaps speaks to that, attempting to democratize a sacred image and its layered symbolism. But I wonder, can an image of celestial benevolence, divorced from a critical understanding of real-world hierarchies, sometimes reinforce unequal structures? Curator: I've not thought of that. Maybe! Looking at it more, it feels a bit paternalistic...The young lad is clinging onto Raphael in more ways than one. Hmmm, I may have changed my mind now on the tone; perhaps less dreamlike and more strategic! Editor: I agree. So much of our world seems orchestrated, mapped out, where sometimes only we ourselves know that it is definitely a divine path, chosen for ourselves. We need not an Angel. Curator: Perhaps it’s a push for agency. An everyday claiming of freedom for ourselves. Absolutely fantastic; I can't look at this the same anymore!