The artwork “Tobias Cured With His Son” is a religious painting by the esteemed Dutch Baroque artist Rembrandt, completed in the year 1636. It is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 47 x 39 cm. The painting is a part of the collection at the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, located in Stuttgart, Germany. This piece is indicative of the Baroque period’s emphasis on dramatic lighting and realism, as well as a focus on biblical themes.
In the artwork, the scene portrayed is intimate and evocative, depicting the biblical story of Tobias cures his father Tobit’s blindness, based on the narrative from the Book of Tobit in the Old Testament (Apocrypha). Rembrandt utilizes chiaroscuro, a technique that contrasts light and shadow, to direct the viewer’s attention to the central event — the miraculous healing. The figures are arranged in a triangular composition, with Tobias at the apex as he administers the healing touch to his father’s eyes.
In the foreground, Tobit is seated, leaning forward with an expression of hope and anticipation as Tobias, guided by an angel, gently touches his eyes. The angel’s presence is characterized by a pair of wings and a compassionate demeanor, indicating divine intervention. To the left, other figures are partly visible in the shadowy background, witnesses to this sacred moment. A large spinning wheel and the modest domestic setting suggest the everyday life of Tobit, highlighting the intrusion of the miraculous into the ordinary.
Rembrandt’s mastery of light and shadow, together with his skillful depiction of human emotion, imbues the artwork with a sense of spiritual intensity and a profound humanity that is characteristic of his religious works.
