The Angel Departing from the Family of Tobias

About this work

You see a small, dark print: an angel with wings rising from a family gathered around a table. The room is dim, lit only by a single candle. Rembrandt made this etching in 1641, using a sharp needle to scratch lines into a copper plate. The angel’s glow isn’t painted—it’s the absence of lines, letting the paper shine through. This quiet trick makes the scene feel hushed, like a moment just before the family realizes the angel is gone. If you like how light and shadow play here, try looking up the technique *etching*.