The Blindness of Tobit: a Sketch

The Blindness of Tobit: a Sketch by Rembrandt van Rijn, dating to 1629, exemplifies the artist’s early mastery of graphic art and his spontaneous approach to narrative invention. Created during the height of the Dutch Golden Age, this small, vigorous piece is an etching, classifying it among the highly sought-after prints produced during the period of 1601 to 1650. Rijn experimented extensively with the etching needle in his twenties, often treating the copper plate like a sketchbook to capture rapid studies of spontaneous human interaction and dramatic biblical scenes.

The subject matter derives from the Apocryphal Book of Tobit, depicting the moment of Tobit’s physical affliction, likely illustrating the moment the blind patriarch is startled by a bird dropping feces in his eyes. Even within this reduced format, Rijn focuses intensely on the emotional core of the narrative. The rapid, open lines characteristic of the work’s “sketch” designation imbue the scene with dramatic energy and immediacy. Unlike the detailed finish of his larger commissioned works, this piece uses minimal cross-hatching and shading, allowing the raw etched lines to communicate urgency and movement.

The study provides vital insight into the technical and compositional methods of the artist before he achieved widespread fame. The immediacy found in these early prints foreshadows Rijn’s lifelong dedication to exploring deeply human themes of suffering, faith, and vulnerability. This specific impression is housed in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Given the enduring cultural importance of the artist and the widespread availability of his graphic output, many high-resolution images of Rijn’s prints, including foundational studies like this, are often available in the public domain for scholarly study and appreciation.