Spanish School; 1850. "Tobias and the Archangel Saint Raphael". Oil on canvas.

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OLD MASTERS

By Setdart Auction House

Nov 3, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-11-03 08:00:00 2021-11-03 08:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : OLD MASTERS https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/setdart-auction-house/old-masters-7786
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• Lot Description
  Spanish School; 1850. "Tobias and the Archangel Saint Raphael". Oil on canvas. Presents faults and jumps in the painting. Measurements: 70 x 48 cm; 90 x 68 cm (frame). Placed in a leafy landscape and on the bank of a river, two figures appear in the foreground: a winged one, luxuriously dressed, and, next to him, a young man kneeling towards the water. The painting shows the moment when Tobias, following the angel's instructions, is about to tear out the heart and entrails of a huge fish to cure his father's blindness (Book of Tobit: VII, 15). According to the biblical passage, the scene in which Tobias and Raphael stop at Lake Tiberias where Tobias catches the fish that will cure his father's blindness, takes place at sunset. And it is precisely the event of the fishing that is represented in this oil painting, where the golden light of the sunset can be appreciated, reflected in the left area of the composition, where the landscape is open to the horizon. Aesthetically, the clarity of the tones used by the author, who works with a range of pastel colors, as can be seen in the mantle of San Rafael. In addition, it is remarkable the workmanship of the work, which is defined through soft and harmonious features that indicate that it is an aesthetic typical of the nineteenth century. The clarity of the representation, as well as the large size of the figures, the easy identification of the subject represented and the absence of anecdotal elements that distract the viewer are elements introduced in art in the rules imposed by the Council of Trent (1545-1563) to defend the beliefs of Roman Catholicism against the attacks of Protestantism. The notoriety achieved by saints and figures previously less common is due to the criticism of the abundance of saints and their relics that Luther's ideas and their defense unleashed in Europe. In this line, the cult of the Archangels is encouraged, an area in which scenes related to them are inscribed, such as the present work.
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