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Uyttenbroeck, Moses van
Tobias Restoring his Father’s Vision; No. 4 in a series of 4: The Story of Tobias Tobie rendant la vue à son père; no 4 de la série 4 : Le livre de Tobie
1621 1621

In the final plate of his series illustrating the story of Tobias, Moses van Uyttenbroeck hones in on an episode recounted in chapter eleven of the Book of Tobit. In this scene, the miraculous operation that enables Tobias’s father to regain his vision serves as the focal point. Tobias, Raphael and Anna are all gathered around Tobit. The action is contained to the right side of the composition. Much like in the first plate in the series, the main characters are situated outdoors, near the sidewall of a building. A serene landscape with rolling hills and a pool of water occupy the middle and background. The artist deviates from the biblical account by showing the angel curing Tobit’s blindness. In the Book of Tobit, Tobias is the one to apply the bile of a fish to Tobit’s eyes in order to restore his father’s vision. Since Raphael has yet to reveal his divine character at this point in the story, it seems peculiar that he would be the one to carry out the surgical procedure. Nevertheless, Tobit complies with the course of action without hesitancy—his faith in God is unwavering. In the meantime, Anna and Tobias eagerly await the result of the operation.

Uyttenbroeck, Moses van
The Hague, Netherlands 1600-The Hague, Netherlands 1646 The Hague, Netherlands 1600-The Hague, Netherlands 1646
Tobias Restoring his Father’s Vision; No. 4 in a series of 4: The Story of Tobias Tobie rendant la vue à son père; no 4 de la série 4 : Le livre de Tobie
1621 1621
Etching, state 2 of 5 Eau-forte, 2e état sur 5
overall: 12.8 cm x 18.3 cm
Purchase, Bader Acquisition Fund, 2010 Achat, Fonds d’acquisition Bader, 2010
53-046.084

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