Tobias and the Angel 

Editor: We're looking at an engraving called "Tobias and the Angel" by Gustave Doré. It plunges us right into a dramatic moment, with Tobias wrestling a giant fish while accompanied by an angel. The landscape has this kind of brooding Romantic feel. What jumps out at you when you look at this piece? Curator: Well, first, that fish! It's enormous, isn't it? It speaks to the exaggerated drama Doré was known for, pulling from a biblical story in the Book of Tobit. I always find myself thinking about the textures here – the way he uses lines to suggest everything from the shimmer on the water to the rough bark on the trees. It's almost theatrical, don’t you think? As if a stage play, meticulously etched into existence. Do you get a sense of the story being almost... larger than life? Editor: Absolutely, it's like a freeze-frame from an epic film. What does this "Book of Tobit" actually mean to the work itself? Curator: It’s the entire foundation! Tobit tells of a man blinded, and his son, Tobias, journeys with the angel Raphael (disguised, of course!) to cure him. The fish provides the remedy: gall for Tobit's eyes! Doré seizes on a moment of high action within a wider narrative about faith and healing. Consider too, the broader 19th-century fascination with spiritualism... Did that have an impact here, do you think? Editor: I can see that. It really adds a layer to understanding the art! Curator: It all sort of spirals out doesn't it? Considering one thread pulls on another... Perhaps that's what art can really be about. Editor: Definitely gives you a lot to think about! It’s been illuminating to dig into Doré’s narrative flair and how the biblical context shaped this remarkable engraving.