Anna e il cieco Tobia

The story here comes from the Book of Tobit, an old tale that sits outside the main Bible. Tobit, a devout man, has gone blind and fallen into poverty as a test of his faith, and his son Tobias has set out on a long journey to restore the family's fortunes. Rembrandt, still a young painter in Leiden around 1630, passes over the miracle that ends the story and paints the waiting instead. The old man sits hunched toward the light, hands clasped, his face nearly lost in shadow, while his wife Anna winds wool beside him. Everything is small, domestic and worn. It is painted with such jeweller's fineness that some scholars believe Rembrandt's gifted Leiden pupil Gerrit Dou shared in the work.