Tobias and the Angel (Verrocchio)

Tobias and the Angel is a painting from the workshop of the Italian Renaissance painter Andrea del Verrocchio ( 1435/1436-1488 ). It is dated to 1470-1475 and is in the holdings of the National Gallery in London.

The work

The work depicts a scene from the apocryphal Book of Tobit in the Old Testament. Tobias, son of Tobit, is accompanied on a journey from Archangel Raphael. This helps him to heal his father by the gall of a fish from the blindness later.

The Archangel in the left half of the image, leading to Tobias with his left arm. Tobias is elegantly dressed in a short blue tunic, a same -colored coat that is blowing in the wind, red trousers and high boots. In his left hand he holds the fish, with which he Galle the blindness of his father will heal. The dog in the lower left corner of the painting is mentioned in the biblical narrative as a travel companion of Tobias.

Probably an older painting of the brothers Piero and Antonio Pollaiuolo served on the same subject, as a model for the image of Andrea del Verrocchio.

Participation of Leonardo da Vinci

In the artists' workshops of the 15th and 16th century, it was customary for the master not only undertook the production of a work, but parts of the execution rendered his companions and students.

The British art historian Martin Kemp suggested that the work with the participation of the young Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was made, which until 1477 received his artistic training in the Florentine workshop of Verrocchio about 1470. According to Kemp Leonardo could have painted the fish in the hands of Tobias.

David Alan Brown, curator for the painting of the Italian Renaissance at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, writes Leonardo da Vinci and the little dog at the feet of the angel to.

The Leonardo 's biographer Charles Nicholl points out that even the head of hair of Tobias by Leonardo da Vinci could be painted. The curl on the left ear, on brush strokes of a left-handed person. Leonardo was more pronounced left-hander, who painted with his left hand, drew and wrote.

According to Nicholl was also the transparency of the puppy shown, the landscape of the image background appears through him, no evidence of an unfinished version of the painting. Rather, this shows a virtuosity and perfection to which Verrocchio not been able.

If the employees Leonardo apply to the preparation of this work, it would be the earliest surviving testimony of a painting with the participation of Leonardo da Vinci.

Likely contributions of Leonardo da Vinci

• The Doggie
• The fish
• The lock of hair