Artwork
The Angel and the Young Tobit with the Fish
The Angel and the Young Tobit with the Fish is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Pieter Lastman. It dates from 1613 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.
About this work
Overview
Pieter Lastman’s 1613 oil painting, *The Angel and the Young Tobit with the Fish*, is a small‑scale history work now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. It illustrates a biblical episode from the Book of Tobit, showing the youthful Tobias accompanied by the archangel Raphael.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures the moment when Raphael points to a large, toothy fish held by Tobias, a gesture that foreshadows the creature’s later role in the narrative’s cure and protection themes. The figures are positioned in a tranquil landscape, underscoring the divine guidance offered to the human protagonist.
Technique & Style
Executed in the early Baroque idiom, the painting balances warm reds and cool blues, while the angel’s white robes are illuminated against a darker, natural background. Lastman’s attention to the modeling of faces, hands and feet is evident, and the work employs a subtle chiaroscuro to give depth to the figures and surrounding foliage.
History & Provenance
Created during Lastman’s productive early‑17th‑century period, the canvas entered the Budapest collection at an unspecified date, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s Dutch Baroque holdings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pieter Lastman (1583–1633) was a Dutch painter. Lastman is considered important because of his work as a painter of history pieces and because his pupils included Rembrandt and Jan Lievens. In his paintings Lastman paid…
