In 1651, Rembrandt returned to the theme of his etching of showing the blind Tobit hastening to greet his returning son. The door already open, Anna has rushed out to meet Tobias and a faithful mongrel scurries in, rubbing its head against the old man's coat as he stumbles forward, missing the door. No more than a fleeting moment in the biblical account, this is transformed by Rembrandt into a poignant image of the frailty and uncertainty of blindness in old age. For whereas in the early etching Tobit was already at the door, here he struggles to find it.
MOST POPULAR PAINTINGS
The Storm on the Sea of Galilee
The Night Watch
The Return of the Prodigal Son
The Jewish Bride
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp
The Polish Rider
Self Portrait, 1669
Jan Six, 1654
Hundred Guilder Print, 1649
Belshazzars Feast