Artwork
Tobias Frightened by the Fish
Tobias Frightened by the Fish is an ink print by the Baroque artist Herman van Swanevelt. It dates from 1628 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Herman van Swanevelt’s 1628 etching, titled Tobias Frightened by the Fish, depicts a riverside scene in stark black‑and‑white. A man steadies a massive fish on a leash while a young boy watches with evident alarm. The composition is framed by dense foliage and a few birds in flight, capturing a fleeting, tense moment.
Subject & Meaning
The print illustrates a narrative moment in which the adult attempts to reassure the frightened child, symbolized by the oversized fish that dominates the boy’s field of vision. The juxtaposition of the calm adult and the terrified youth may reflect themes of guidance, fear of the unknown, or the perils of nature confronting innocence.
Technique & Style
Executed as an etching, the work relies on incised lines on a copper plate, producing fine detail in the fish’s scales and the surrounding vegetation. Van Swanevelt’s handling of line creates a clear contrast between the dark foreground and lighter background, emphasizing depth and the tension between the figures and their environment.
History & Provenance
Created in 1628, the print is an early example of van Swanevelt’s printmaking, a medium he employed alongside his more widely known landscape paintings. While specific ownership records are scarce, the etching has been documented in several European print collections, confirming its circulation among connoisseurs of the Dutch Golden Age.
Artist & collection
