Tobits blindheid 1595 - 1633

Curator: Looking at “Tobits Blindheid,” made between 1595 and 1633 by an anonymous artist, and currently held at the Rijksmuseum...what grabs you first? Editor: It's an engraving, so it's monochrome, with incredibly fine detail. The scene feels...domestic, but also Biblical and historical at the same time. There’s this clear division of space between Tobit and what I think is a medical procedure? What do you see when you look at this piece? Curator: Well, let's think about the material process: this print relies on a division of labor. Someone designed the image, someone engraved the plate, someone printed it, and then a consumer bought it. That's a whole network of making and distribution. Look at the choice of engraving: it allowed for relatively mass production compared to painting. Do you see a reflection of its context in the style? Editor: I think so. Because it’s a print, it would be more widely available and thus relatable to a wider group of people... How would that mass consumption affect how we think about high art and low art during this period? Curator: Exactly! This challenges those boundaries. We need to consider this as a commodity, but a commodity that carries complex religious narratives and social messages. The very act of its production and circulation reshapes its meaning. What does that making apparent to you? Editor: The accessibility! And now that you point out that the artist is anonymous, it almost implies the imagery and distribution process was more important than the individual’s touch. I guess I typically focus more on the narrative itself, rather than thinking about how and why the image was actually made. Curator: Precisely! This engraving makes visible the labor and the industrial nature of artmaking even centuries ago. Editor: This definitely makes me want to research the printmaking industry in the Renaissance!