Tobias, Sara en de engel nemen afscheid van Raguel en Edna 1601 - 1652

This circular, anonymous print depicts Tobias, Sara, and the angel bidding farewell to Raguel and Edna, rendered in the detailed linear style characteristic of engravings. The composition, enclosed within a circle, directs our gaze along its circumference, framing the biblical narrative within a self-contained world. Note how the artist employs line to define form and convey depth. Each figure is meticulously outlined, with dense cross-hatching creating shadows and volume. The repetitive, almost mechanical nature of these lines lends the scene a sense of ordered structure. The print operates within a complex system of signs, drawing upon religious and cultural codes. The angel, distinguished by its wings, signals divine intervention. The farewell scene taps into established visual tropes of departure and familial blessing. This work challenges fixed meanings, existing in the perpetual flux of interpretation.