The blindness of Tobit: a sketch

The blindness of Tobit: a sketch by Rembrandt van Rijn, dating to 1629, is a poignant early example of the artist's focus on intimate biblical narratives. Classified formally as a print on paper, the work showcases Rijn’s emerging mastery of line and shadow, fundamental skills he utilized extensively for developing his celebrated etching technique during his Leyden period.

The composition captures a dramatic moment from the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit. It illustrates the instant when the aged Tobit is suddenly struck blind after coming into contact with sparrow droppings, a scene often rendered with high emotionality in 17th-century Dutch art. Rijn focuses the viewer’s attention not just on the physical affliction but also on the immediate, startled reactions of his surrounding family members. This intense focus on pathos and emotional psychology characterized the foundational years of the artist’s career.

Dating from a critical moment in the development of his individual style, the piece demonstrates how Rijn quickly moved beyond conventional historical painting to prioritize psychological depth and vivid, domestic realism in his religious subjects. Even in this early, sketch-like format intended for reproduction as a print, the dramatic contrasts inherent in the scene foreshadow the light management (often approaching tenebrism) that defined his later oeuvre. This historically significant work is preserved as part of the extensive collection of Dutch Master prints at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Due to its cultural importance and age, reproductions of this early print are often available globally through public domain art initiatives.