Tobias and the Angel Raphael c. 1605

Jacopo Ligozzi made this pen and wash drawing of "Tobias and the Angel Raphael" in Italy during the late 16th or early 17th century. Ligozzi worked for the Medici court in Florence, where his duties included botanical and zoological illustration and the production of religious and mythological scenes. The story of Tobias comes from the Old Testament Apocrypha, where the angel Raphael guides the young Tobias on a journey, instructing him to catch a fish and extract remedies from its organs. Here, Raphael holds Tobias back as he struggles with the large fish. Italian artists of this time were particularly influenced by the doctrines of the Catholic Church. Ligozzi's emphasis on the role of divine intervention in everyday life speaks to the Counter-Reformation values of the period. To fully understand the cultural significance of an image like this, the art historian consults theological texts, biographies, and studies of patronage. Religious images can tell us much about the social and political forces that shaped their creation.