Scena zarazy czy obraz miłosierdzia Tobiasza? Z badań ikonograficznych nad twórczością Alexandre’a Ubeleskiego
A Plague Scene or an Image of Tobias’s Mercy? From Iconographic Studies on the Oeuvre of Alexandre Ubeleski

Summary/Abstract: The study of form, genre and iconography has made it possibleto identify the hitherto obscure subject of Alexandre Ubeleski’s drawing showing a dramaticscene with figures lying on the ground. The plague theme, previously applied in its context,was ruled out and the biblical theme of Tobias’s act of burying the slain has been confirmed.The discovery of the model for the drawing: an engraving by Sébastien Bourdon, permittedto date Ubeleski’s sketch to around 1683 and to recognise the content motifs of the imageby setting it in the historical context of 17th-century art. In drawing the sketch, Ubeleskiemphasised the emotions of the figures, whose gestures and facial expressions have beeninterpreted based on the models of Charles Le Brun and John Bulwer. The draughtsman’semphasis on the close relationship between the old man and the youngster made it possible tointerpret the scene as a joint action between the two Tobiases, father and son. This depictionof the young Tobias, which is unique in the iconography of this subject, opens up a space forreflection on an attempt to interpret the content of this fascinating drawing.

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