St. Raphael

Archangels were favorite subjects of Quito’s sculptors during the eighteenth century. They were represented young and dressed with a mixture of Roman and medieval clothes. The wavy movement of the mid-calf skirt of this figure evidences his heavenly origin. As a biblical description tells, St. Raphael teaches Tobias to fish whose guts were used to cure his father's blindness. The fish hanging from St. Raphael’s right hand reminds this event.