Artwork
Tobias and the Angel (The Large Tobias)
Tobias and the Angel (The Large Tobias) is an ink print by the Baroque artist Hendrik Goudt. It dates from 1613 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The composition centers on two figures walking together, framed by foliage and a faintly illuminated village on the horizon.
Hendrik Goudt’s engraving titled *Tobias and the Angel*—also known as *The Large Tobias*—was produced in 1613. Executed as a print, the work measures roughly a typical sheet size for early‑17th‑century copper engravings and presents a narrative scene set within a dimly lit forest. The composition centers on two figures walking together, framed by foliage and a faintly illuminated village on the horizon.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts the biblical episode of Tobias accompanied by the Archangel Raphael, who appears in human form. The elder figure, identifiable by his long coat, hat, and staff, guides the younger man, dressed in loose robes, through a wooded landscape. The surrounding birds and plants suggest a natural world that both conceals and reveals the divine guidance central to the story.
Technique & Style
Goudt employs fine, cross‑hatching lines to model the figures and generate subtle gradations of shadow, creating a sense of depth within the limited tonal range of the engraving. The elder’s cloak is rendered with sweeping, fluid strokes that emphasize movement, while the background foliage is built up through delicate stippling. This careful manipulation of line and light exemplifies early Baroque printmaking practices.
History & Provenance
Created in the early Dutch Golden Age, the print reflects Goudt’s collaboration with contemporaries such as Rembrandt, whose influence is evident in the dramatic chiaroscuro. While the original copper plate’s whereabouts are unknown, surviving impressions are held in several European museum collections, indicating the work’s circulation among collectors of religious prints in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Artist & collection
