This series of paintings predominantly tells the Old Testament story of Abraham and Isaac, and each of the canvases treats the interaction of humans and angels. In three works, angels appear to Abraham. However, the narrative of Tobias and the Angel comes from an entirely different book of the Bible. The blind Tobit sends his son Tobias off to collect a sum of money in the distant town of Media, with the angel Raphael accompanying him in disguise as a human. This particular work depicts Raphael overseeing Tobias catching a fish, which would later be used to cure his father's blindness. Title Tobias and the Angel Creator Francesco Guardi (Italian, 1712-1793) Date Created 1750s Physical Dimensions Framed 70.5 x 90.5 x 6.5 cm (27 3/4 x 35 5/8 x 2 9/16 in.); Unframed 56.5 x 75.5 cm (22 1/4 x 29 3/4 in.) Provenance Possibly Federigo Giovanelli, Venice, Baroness Valerie Groedel, Budapest, (Neumann Gallery, Vienna), Francesco Pospisil, Venice, sold through Alessandro Brass to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio Type Painting Rights CC0 Medium oil on canvas Department European Painting and Sculpture Culture Italy, 18th century Credit Line Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund Collection P - Italian 18th Century Accession Number 1952.235.2
