Tobias vangt de vis 1556 - 1633

This is an engraving titled "Tobias vangt de vis" or "Tobias Catches the Fish" by an anonymous artist. Prints like this one served to both illustrate and disseminate biblical stories amongst a wide audience. Here we see an episode from the Book of Tobit, a deuterocanonical text, in which the character Tobias, aided by the angel Raphael, catches a large fish. This print uses visual language typical of its time. Observe the idealized, muscular male figures; standard at a time when artistic and social structures often marginalized other forms of representation. Despite being a religious scene, the landscape and figures take precedence over any overt expression of faith. The artist seems to prioritize aesthetic values, reflecting the humanist tendencies of the period. The narrative is secondary to its artistic interpretation. Consider how such images, while aiming to educate, also reinforce certain ideals about beauty, gender, and power within the context of religious narratives.