Young Tobiah and the Angel 1645 - 1680

Toussaint Gelton painted "Young Tobiah and the Angel" in oil on canvas. Gelton was working in France in the mid-17th century, a time of relative peace and prosperity under Louis XIV, which saw the consolidation of the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. The painting depicts a scene from the Book of Tobit, in which the angel Raphael guides the young Tobiah on a journey. The visual codes are revealing. Angels were common figures in the religious art of Catholic France, often used to convey messages of hope. The motif of the journey was equally common and associated with pilgrimage and spiritual enlightenment. It is an allegory of the difficulties of life, relieved by divine intervention. As art historians, we can use primary sources to understand the cultural references and historical associations of this painting. These sources allow us to reflect on the meaning of art as contingent on its social and institutional context.