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Pond, Arthur; Gellée, Claude (Claude Lorrain) (after)
Tobias and the Angel with the Fish Tobie et l'ange avec le poisson
1734 1734

The subject of this work is drawn from the apocryphal Book of Tobit and was made after a design by the French landscapist, Claude Lorrain. A charming illustration, it was produced by the English artist Arthur Pond in the 1730s and combines two printmaking techniques: etching and chiaroscuro woodcut. Pond was a painter, engraver, print-seller, dealer and collector who contributed extensively to the growth in interest in landscapes completed in the style of Lorrain at a crucial moment in the development of English taste for such works. Pond’s name is associated with several biblical prints that were made after originals by Claude Lorrain in which landscapes play a dominant role. In the current work, the sky occupies half the composition, while tall, leafy trees and a calm body of water fill up much of the remainder of the space. Although figures and animals populate the scene, the viewer’s eyes are drawn toward the sun and the swirly lines of the clouds, leafs, and tree branches in the upper part of the print. Relegated to the lower right corner, Tobias follows the angel’s instructions to disembowel the enormous fish he has hauled out of the river. The fish’s gall will enable Tobias to cure his father’s blindness on his return to Nineveh.

Pond, Arthur; Gellée, Claude (Claude Lorrain) (after)
London, England 1701-Rome, Italy 1758; Champagne, France 1604-Rome, Italy 1682 London, England 1701-Rome, Italy 1758; Champagne, France 1604-Rome, Italy 1682
Tobias and the Angel with the Fish Tobie et l'ange avec le poisson
1734 1734
Etching and chiaroscuro woodcut, state 1 of 1 Eau-forte et gravure sur bois en clair-obscur, état unique
overall: 17.7 cm x 22.8 cm
Purchase, Bader Acquisition Fund, 2010 Achat, Fonds d’acquisition Bader, 2010
53-046.069

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