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The Angel Raphael Takes Leave of Old Tobit and his Son Tobias

Pieter Lastman1618

SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst

SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst
Copenhagen, Danmark

Like so many other artists of the day Pieter Lastman went to Rome when his studies were completed. Here, he met artists such as the German painter Adam Elsheimer (1578-1610). Inspired by Elsheimer, Lastman adopted and developed the so-called cabinet pieces, small paintings showing scenes from the Bible, history, or mythology. The painting's story The story of Tobias and his guardian angel, the archangel Raphael, is related in the book of Tobit from the Apocrypha of the Old Testament. It takes place in Ninive, the Assyrian city to which the Israelites had been deported. Tobias faces many trials and tribulations to obtain the medicine he needed for his blind father Tobit. New subject matter As the art theory of the time called for, Lastman made it a point of honour to come up with new subject matter that no other artist had ever depicted. Lastman placed the scene within his own time through the objects used in the still life in the foreground. The silver pitcher in the very elaborate and organic auricular style is by the Dutch silversmith Adam van Vianen (1568/69-1627). He was commissioned to make the piece by the Silversmiths’ Guild in Amsterdam.

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  • Title: The Angel Raphael Takes Leave of Old Tobit and his Son Tobias
  • Creator: Pieter Lastman
  • Creator Lifespan: 1583 Amsterdam - 1633 Amsterdam
  • Creator Nationality: Dutch
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Death Place: Amsterdam
  • Creator Birth Place: Amsterdam
  • Date Created: 1618
  • Værktekst: Som så mange andre kunstnere på den tid drog Pieter Lastman til Rom efter endt læretid. Her mødte han blandt andre den tyske maler Adam Elsheimer (1578-1610), fra hvem han overtog og videreudviklede det såkaldte kabinetstykke, en type små malerier med motiver fra Bibelen, historien eller mytologien. Maleriets fortælling Historien om Tobias og hans skytsengel ærkeenglen Rafael fortælles i en af Det Gamle Testamentes apokryfer, Tobits Bog. Den udspiller sig i Ninive, den by i Assyrien, hvortil israelitterne var deporteret. For at skaffe den nødvendige medicin til sin blinde fader Tobit, måtte Tobias igennem talrige prøvelser og strabadser. Nye motiver Som tidens kunstteori fordrede, gjorde Lastman en dyd af at finde på nye motiver, som ingen andre havde fremstillet. Lastman har aktualiseret motivet gennem de genstande, som forgrundens stilleben består af. Sølvkanden i den meget organisk ornamenterede bruskbarokstil er af den nederlandske sølvsmed Adam van Vianen (1568/69-1627), som fire år før maleriets udførelse havde fået den i opdrag af sølvsmedelavet i Amsterdam. I dag ejes kanden af Rijksmuseum i samme by.
  • Teknik: Olie på træ
  • Proveniens: Gave fra Ny Carlsbergfondet i anledning af 90-årsdagen for Carl Jacobsens fødsel 1932
  • Dansk link: http://www.smk.dk/index.php?id=1141
  • Dansk Titel: Englen Rafael tager afsked med den gamle Tobit og hans søn Tobias
  • Physical Dimensions: w93 x h62 cm (Without frame)
  • Provenance: Acquired 1932
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: Statens Museum for Kunst, http://www.smk.dk/en/copyright/creative-commons/
  • Medium: Oil on panel
SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst

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