View source for Tobit and Anna with the Kid

{{Short description|1626 painting by Rembrandt}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2022}}

{{Infobox artwork
| title              = Tobit and Anna with the Kid
| painting_alignment = 
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| other_language_2   = 
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| wikidata           = 
| image              = File:Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn 154.jpg
| image_upright      = 
| alt                = 
| caption            = 
| artist             = [[Rembrandt]]
| year               =  1626
| completion_date    =  
| catalogue          = Bredius 486
| medium             = [[Oil painting|Oil]] on [[Panel painting|panel]]
| movement           = 
| subject            = 
| height_metric      = 39.5
| width_metric       = 30
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| weight             = 
| designation        = 
| condition          = 
| museum             = [[Rijksmuseum]]
| city               = Amsterdam
| coordinates        =  <!-- Only use for the coordinates (when known) of the artwork itself, i.e. not for the site, building, structure, etc where it is kept, otherwise leave blank (or omit): {{coord|LAT|LON|type:landmark|display=inline,title}} -->
| owner              = 
| accession          = SK-A-4717
| preceded_by        =  <!-- preceding work by the same artist -->
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}}

'''''Tobit and Anna with the Kid''''', also titled '''''Tobit Accusing Anna of Stealing the Kid''''', and '''''Tobit Praying for Death''''', is an early oil painting by the [[Dutch Golden Age painter]] [[Rembrandt]], signed and dated 1626. It is now in the [[Rijksmuseum]] in Amsterdam.

== Subject ==
The subject of the painting is taken from the deuterocanonical [[Book of Tobit]] from the Old Testament.<ref name=":2">Kitson 1982, plate 1.</ref> 

The painting showing the moment between Tobit and his wife Anna, early in the narrative, when the Tobit's faith in his wife's honesty is shaken. Tobit has been blinded in an accident, and to keep the family from poverty Anna works for the neighbours, for whom she makes cloth and sews clothes, and is paid in kind for her work. One day she receives a kid as wages and brings it home. Hearing the young animal's bleating, Tobit fears that his wife has stolen the animal and accuses her of committing a sin. Anna sharply denies the accusations, and Tobit begins to pray to God for death as release from suffering: "that I may be dissolved, and become earth".<ref name=":0">[[wikisource:Bible_(King_James)/Tobit#Chapter_2|Tob. 2–3]].</ref>

In the biblical narrative, the old couple's fortunes are eventually restored by their son, Tobias, with the aid and guidance of the angel [[Raphael (archangel)|Raphael]], and Tobit is cured of his blindness by a magic fish caught by Tobias and Raphael in the [[Tigris]].<ref name=":2" />

== Description ==
The painting is signed, at lower left, "RH·1626".<ref name=":1">''Rijksmuseum''.</ref> This early work by Rembrandt, painted in the year he turned twenty, is described by art historian [[Gary Schwartz (art historian)|Gary Schwartz]] as "his first truly accomplished painting".<ref>Schwartz 1985, p. 44.</ref>

Rembrandt skilfully tells the story, focusing on the most important threads: Anna, still with the goat at hand, has just heard her husband's accusation, which she indignantly denies. Tobit is deep in prayer to God, asking for death. At his feet is a small dog, symbolizing Tobit's fidelity and trust in God's justice. 
[[File:Dou 1614 map of Leiden.jpg|thumb|240x240px|Dutch map of [[Leyden]], 1614]]
Like most of Rembrandt's first Leyden period, the painting is rich in colour and human emotion.<ref name=":1" /> For [[Michael Kitson]], the work is an early and excellent example of Rembrandt's "lifelong fascination with old people".<ref name=":2" /> The artist's mother may have posed for the character of Anna.<ref>Kaufman 1981, p. 9.</ref>

== Background ==
While the scene of [[Tobias and the Angel]] travelling through the desert was already an established subject in European art, [[Dutch Golden Age painters]] were also interested in the other episodes of the Book of Tobit.<ref name=":2" /> Rembrandt's teacher, [[Pieter Lastman]], had painted a scene from near the end of the story, ''[[The Angel Raphael Takes Leave of Old Tobit and his Son Tobias]]'', in which Tobit and Tobias kneel in pious gratitude before the winged Raphael; and Rembrandt himself later painted Raphael's heavenward departure in ''[[The Archangel Raphael Leaving Tobias' Family]]''.<ref name=":2" />

== Sources ==
{{multiple image
 | align = right
 | direction = vertical
 | width = 200
 | header = 
 | image1 = Tobit en Anna met het bokje. NL-HlmNHA 53012278.JPG
 | alt1 = 
 | caption1 = ''Tobit and Anna with the Goat'' (''Tobit accusing Anna''), {{Circa|1620}}
 | image2 = Penitent H. Peter, Willem Isaacsz. van Swanenburg, after Abraham Bloemaert, 1609 - 1611.jpg
 | alt2 = 
 | caption2 = ''Penitent Saint Peter'', {{Circa|1609–1611}}
}}
In painting the story of Tobit and Anna, Rembrandt relied on an [[engraving]] of the same scene by [[Jan van de Velde]], engraved around 1620 after a painting by [[Willem Buytewech]].<ref name=":3">Schwartz 1985, p. 44.</ref> 

[[Willem Isaacsz. van Swanenburg|Willem van Swanenburg]]'s print of the penitent [[Saint Peter]] after a painting by [[Abraham Bloemaert]] has also been cited as a source for the figure of Tobit.<ref name=":3" /> Indeed, Rembrandt repeatedly copied the work of other artists; he had many of them in his own private collection.<ref>Michałkowa 1960, p. 21.</ref>

== Provenance ==
The painting was first mentioned on 29 October 1748 in the catalogue of Pieter van Buytene's collection (Oude Koornmarkt, Delft), which was put up for sale. Between 17 and 18 April 1759 it was purchased by Yver at an anonymous sale at an unknown auction house in Amsterdam. From 1905 to 1913 the painting was in the collection of Dmitry Shchukin (Moscow). In 1917, it was sold by the art dealer E. J. Goudstikker (Amsterdam), and it was in the collection of Baron [[Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza|Thyssen-Bornemisza]] (Schloss Rohoncz, Lugano; Villa Favorita, Castagnola) from 1956 to 1979. In 1979, the painting was acquired by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.<ref name=":1" />

== Related works ==
<gallery heights="140" widths="160" mode="nolines">
File:Pieter Lastman - The Angel Raphael Takes Leave of Old Tobit and his Son Tobias - Google Art Project.jpg|<small>[[Pieter Lastman]]: ''[[The Angel Raphael Takes Leave of Old Tobit and his Son Tobias]]'', 1618</small>
File:Abraham Bloemaert - Landscape with farmstead, peasants and the exodus of Tobias with the angel (1630).jpg|<small>Abraham Bloemaert: ''Landscape with the Exodus of Tobias and the Angel'', 1630</small>
File:Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn 160.jpg|<small>Rembrandt: ''[[Anna and the Blind Tobit]]'', {{Circa|1630}}</small>
File:Rembrandt - The Philosopher in Meditation.jpg|<small>Rembrandt: ''[[Philosopher in Meditation]]'', 1632</small>
File:Tobias Healing his Father by Rembrandt - Staatsgalerie - Stuttgart - Germany 2017.jpg|<small>Rembrandt: ''[[Tobias Healing his Blind Father]]'', 1636</small>
File:Rembrandt De aartsengel verlaat Tobias en zijn gezin. 1637.jpg|<small>Rembrandt: ''[[The Archangel Raphael Leaving Tobias' Family|The Angel Raphael Leaving Tobias' Family]]'', 1637</small>
File:Die Frau des Tobias mit der Ziege - Gemäldegalerie Berlin - 5249845.jpg|<small>Rembrandt and workshop: ''Tobit and Anna with the Kid'', 1645</small>
File:Rembrandt van Rijn - Tobit en zijn vrouw (1659).jpg|<small>Rembrandt: ''Tobit and his Wife'' (''Tobit and Anna''), 1659</small>
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of paintings by Rembrandt]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Sources ==
* Kaufman, Elizabeth Elias (1981). ''Rembrandt''. New York: Book Sales. p. 9. {{ISBN|0-89009-372-5}}.
* Kitson, Michael (1982). ''[https://archive.org/details/rembrandt0000kits_q1h2/page/32/mode/2up?q=Anna&view=theater Rembrandt]''. Oxford: Phaidon Press. pp. 15, 18, plate 1.
* Michałkowa, Janina (1960). ''Rembrandt''. Warsaw: Wiedza Powszechna. p. 21.
* Schwartz, Gary (1985). ''[https://archive.org/details/rembrandthislife0000schw_z2i1/page/44/mode/2up?q=Anna&view=theater Rembrandt: His Life, His Paintings]''. Viking. pp. 44, 47, 52, 230.
* [https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/SK-A-4717 "Tobit and Anna with the Kid, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1626"]. ''Rijksmuseum''. Retrieved 20 April 2023.

== Further reading ==

* Chudzikowski, Andrzej (1972). ''Rembrandt van Rijn''. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Ruch.
* Zuffi, Stefano (2011). ''Rembrandt''. (Masters of Art). Prestel. {{ISBN|978-3-7913-4620-5}}.
* [https://rkd.nl/en/explore/images/record?query=rembrandt+tobit&start=7 "Gerrit Willemsz. Horst"]. ''Netherlands Institute for Art History (RKD)''. Retrieved 20 April 2023.

{{Rembrandt|state=collapsed}}
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[[Category:1626 paintings]]
[[Category:Paintings by Rembrandt]]
[[Category:Paintings of Tobias]]
[[Category:Goats in art]]