Saint Raphael with Tobias, His Dog, and the Fish, c. 1780
Giuseppe Sanmartinoexpand_more
Silver, gilt bronzeexpand_more
Gift of Al and Mary Agnes McQuinn in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Minneapolis Institute of Artsexpand_more 2015.24.1
On View in Gallery 350expand_more
Tobias, a young Jewish man, has been sent by his blind father to retrieve money left with a relative. Accompanying him on the journey are his dog and a hired guide who, unbeknownst to him, is the archangel Raphael. When they reach the Tigris River, Tobias is attacked by a monstrous fish. Raphael tells him to catch it and preserve its innards as medicines. Tobias later burns the heart and liver to free his future wife from a demon and uses the gall (bile) to cure his father’s blindness. The lively dog appears in other works by Sanmartino—it may have been the artist’s own pet.
Details
- Title
- Saint Raphael with Tobias, His Dog, and the Fish
- Artist Life
- 1720–1793
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.24.1
- Curator Approved
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