Tobias and his wife say goodbye to his in-laws in order to return to his father

Antonibon employs a restrained chiaroscuro, allowing the figures to emerge from a gently shaded background of palm trees and stone walls. The palette leans toward ochres, muted reds, and blues, while the arrangement of bodies—some facing forward, others turned away—creates a dynamic yet balanced grouping that guides the viewer’s eye through the scene.

Executed in 1840, the painting entered the holdings of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains on display. Its acquisition history is not extensively documented, but the work reflects the artist’s engagement with religious subjects popular in early‑19th‑century Venetian circles.

The work belongs to a broader tradition of 19th‑century religious genre painting in Venice, where biblical narratives were rendered in domestic, relatable settings. By placing the farewell in a courtyard rather than a grand biblical landscape, Antonibon aligns the sacred story with everyday human experience, a characteristic of the period’s devotional art.