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Tobias and the Angel

Thomas Wilmer Dewing American

1887

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 766

Dewing’s painting responds to a biblical story from the book of Tobit. After the elderly Tobit was blinded by sparrow dung, his son, Tobias—accompanied by a dog and the angel Raphael, disguised as a young man—traveled to Media to collect a debt for his father’s support. While bathing in the river Tigris, Tobias was startled by a fish. Raphael instructed him to seize the fish and save the heart, liver, and gall. Later, Tobias used the organs to drive an evil spirit away from Sara, his future wife, and then to restore his father’s sight. Dewing minimizes narrative and focuses only on the progress of Tobias and the angel across a meadow.

Tobias and the Angel, Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851–1938), Oil on canvas, American — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Tobias and the Angel, Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851–1938), Oil on canvas, American

Tobias and the Angel, Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851–1938), Oil on canvas, American

Tobias and the Angel, Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851–1938), Oil on canvas, American

Tobias and the Angel, Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851–1938), Oil on canvas, American

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Tobias and the Angel

Artist: Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851–1938)

Date: 1887

Culture: American

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 24 1/8 x 40 1/8 in. (61.3 x 101.9 cm)

Credit Line: Gift of Edward D. Adams, 1919

Accession Number: 19.171.1

Essay

Nineteenth-Century American Drawings

Chronology

The United States and Canada, 1800-1900 A.D.

American Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vol. 3, A Catalogue of Works by Artists Born between 1846 and 1864

American Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vol. 3, A Catalogue of Works by Artists Born between 1846 and 1864

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The American Wing at The Met

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works by African American, Euro American, Native American, and Latin American artists, ranging from the colonial to early-modern period.