Tobias Leaving the Table, from "The Story of Tobias"

Art Historical Context

Georg Pencz’s *Tobias Leaving the Table* (1543) is a finely detailed engraving from his series illustrating the biblical Book of Tobit. Created in Nuremberg during the Renaissance, the small print—just 2½ by 3⅞ inches—belongs to the tradition of the so-called “Little Masters,” artists who specialized in miniature prints rich with narrative detail. Pencz, trained under the influence of Albrecht Dürer, used the engraving technique to achieve crisp lines and subtle tonal contrasts that reward close viewing. The scene captures a moment from the apocryphal story of Tobias, who departs on a journey guided by the archangel Raphael. Though the composition centers on male figures at a table, Pencz conveys movement and anticipation through gesture and spatial arrangement. Such series were popular devotional and educational objects, allowing owners to follow sacred narratives in portable form. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum in 1917 through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, this first-state impression highlights Pencz’s skill in condensing complex stories into intimate prints that combined moral instruction with artistic refinement.

About the Artist

Georg Pencz · 1490–1550

Comment on works: Religious; History; Portraits