Tobias and the Angel

Davide Ghirlandaio's Tobias and the Angel from about 1479 depicts the popular Old Testament story of the young Tobias guided by the Archangel Raphael, a subject with special resonance in Florence where the guild of bankers venerated the archangel as their patron. Davide, the less celebrated brother of Domenico Ghirlandaio, worked in the family workshop and contributed to many of Domenico's major fresco cycles while producing independent panel paintings.

The tempera and gold on wood demonstrate the Ghirlandaio workshop's characteristic clear drawing, bright coloring, and decorative gold details. The graceful figures set against a landscape background show the influence of Verrocchio's workshop tradition on Florentine narrative painting.