Tobit, thinking he had not long to live, sent his son, Tobias, on a journey to a foreign land to collect a debt. Tobias was accompanied by a handsome young man (the archangel Raphael in disguise) who had been hired to be his companion and protector. The family dog went with them. In the course of the journey Tobias caught a fish in the River Tigris on the instructions of his companion. Following their return after collecting the debt Tobit is depicted sitting outside his house in Nineveh. His son, Tobias is anointing his eyes with the gall of a fish. The archangel Raphael, whose name means ‘God has healed’, is standing at the right. He points out to us what Tobias is doing on his instructions in order to cure miraculously his father’s blindness.

Provenance: bequeathed by the Founders, 1885

Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: Antonio Pereda y Salgado (1611–1678)
Date: 1652

Image Details
Date: 7 Feb 2025
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Wide Camera 26mm ƒ/1.8
Focal Length: 26mm
Aperture: ƒ/1.8
Shutter Speed: 1/25s
ISO: 400
Licensing: Image of a Bowes Museum asset. This image cannot be licensed.