Tobit and Anna with the Kid
| Tobit and Anna with the Kid | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Rembrandt |
| Year | 1626 |
| Catalogue | Bredius 486 |
| Medium | Oil on panel |
| Dimensions | 39.5 cm × 30 cm (15.6 in × 12 in) |
| Location | Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam |
| Accession | SK-A-4717 |
Tobit and Anna with the Kid, also titled Tobit Accusing Anna of Stealing the Kid, and Tobit Praying for Death, is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age master Rembrandt, signed and dated 1626, which currently hangs in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Subject
The subject of the painting was taken from the apocryphal Book of Tobit from the Old Testament.[1]
The painting concerns itself with Tobias and his wife Anna, showing the moment in the narrative when the man's faith in his wife's honesty is shaken. Tobit had been blinded in an accident, and to keep the family from poverty Anna worked for the neighbours, for whom she made cloth and sewed clothes, and was paid in kind for her work. One day she received a kid as wages and brought it home. Hearing the young animal's bleating, Tobias was terrified that his wife had stolen the animal and accused her of committing a sin. Anna sharply denied the accusations, and Tobias began to pray to God for death as release from suffering: "that I may be dissolved, and become earth".[2]
Description
The painting is signed, at lower left, "RH·1626".[3] This early work by Rembrandt, painted in the year he turned twenty, is described by art historian Gary Schwartz as "his first truly accomplished painting".[4]
Rembrandt skilfully tells the story, focusing on the most important threads: Anna, still with the goat at hand, has just heard her husband's accusation, which she indignantly denies. Tobias is deep in prayer to God, asking him to punish him for his sinful life. At his feet you can see a dog, symbolizing Tobias' fidelity and his trust in God's justice. Like most of Rembrandt's first Leyden period, the painting is rich in colour; however, one can already see the artist's ability to show the depth of human emotions.[3]
In painting the story of Tobias and Anna, Rembrandt relied on a copperplate engraving by Jan van de Velde based on a composition by Willem Buytewech.[5] The artist repeatedly copied the work of other artists; he had many of them in his own private collection.[6]
Rembrandt's mother probably posed for the character of Anna.[7]
Provenance
The painting was first mentioned on 29 October 1748 in the catalogue of Pieter van Buytene's collection (Oude Koornmarkt, Delft), which was put up for sale. Between 17 and 18 April 1759 it was purchased by Yver at an anonymous sale at an unknown auction house in Amsterdam. From 1905 to 1913 the painting was in the collection of Tschugin (Moscow). In 1917, it was sold by the art dealer E. J. Goudstikker (Amsterdam), and it was in the collection of Baron – (Schloss Rohoncz, Lugano; Villa Favorita, Castagnola) from 1956 to 1979. In 1979, the painting was acquired by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.[3]
References
Sources
- Kaufman, Elizabeth Elias (1981). Rembrandt. New York: Book Sales. p. 9. ISBN 0-89009-372-5.
- Kitson, Michael (1982). Rembrandt. Oxford: Phaidon Press. pp. 15, 18, plate 1.
- Michałkowa, Janina (1960). Rembrandt. Warsaw: Wiedza Powszechna. p. 21.
- Schwartz, Gary (1985). Rembrandt: His Life, His Paintings. Viking. pp. 44, 47, 52, 230.
- "Tobit and Anna with the Kid, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1626". Rijksmuseum. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
Further reading
- Chudzikowski, Andrzej (1972). Rembrandt van Rijn. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Ruch.
- Zuffi, Stefano (2011). Rembrandt. (Masters of Art). Prestel. ISBN 978-3-7913-4620-5.
- "Gerrit Willemsz. Horst". Netherlands Institute for Art History (RKD). Retrieved 20 April 2023.
