The Angel Raphael Takes Leave of Old Tobit and his Son Tobias

Executed in oil, the painting employs strong chiaroscuro, contrasting the bright illumination of the angel with the shadowed figures below. Lastman’s handling of drapery—red robes, dark coats, and detailed textures—demonstrates his skill in rendering materiality. The composition balances dramatic lighting with a narrative depth characteristic of early Baroque influences from Italy.

Created in the early seventeenth century, the work reflects Lastman’s position as a leading Dutch history painter and teacher of artists such as Rembrandt. After changing hands over the centuries, it entered the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on public display as part of the museum’s European painting holdings.

The painting belongs to a period when Dutch artists increasingly looked to Italian Baroque models for inspiration, integrating dynamic movement and theatrical lighting. Lastman’s emphasis on expressive figures and narrative clarity aligns with contemporary trends in religious and historical painting, situating the work within the broader transition from Mannerism to Baroque sensibilities.