Minneapolis Institute of Art

Saint Raphael with Tobias, His Dog, and the Fish

Giuseppe SanmartinoLinkedCulture matchlcp-e9295a1bd99b

Date: c. 1780
Medium: Silver, gilt bronze
Department: European Art
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Art
Object ID: 120728

From the Minneapolis Institute of Art record

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. Italy, Europe

View at Minneapolis Institute of Art ↗

The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.

Get printable QR codes

Open QR codes for this object page and the museum record. They stay collapsed until needed.

Open this page

See at Minneapolis Institute of Art