Tobias and the Angel

This beautiful piece of art, painted in the form of an arch, i.e., having a semicircular upper part, opens the section dedicated to the exhibition of large altarpieces between the 16th and 18th centuries. Francesco Morandini known as Poppi painted this story from the Old Testament. It was a very popular subject in the sixteenth century for a Prato company named after the Archangel Raphael, between 1572 and 1573.
On the left, the Archangel Raphael looks attentively at the young Tobias, on the right. He holds him by his hand to lead him on the way home. It is reported in the biblical narrative that the elderly, blind Tobias relied upon the Archangel to accompany his son Tobias the young on a journey to collect money in a remote location. The curly boy looks tenderly toward the viewer and confidently squeezes his companion's hand. 
Observed by a puppy, a symbol of fidelity, the archangel tends forward a pot containing the miraculous bile that will heal Tobias’s father from blindness, while the latter grabs the fish from which those bowels were extracted. 
The young man is stylishly dressed in a cropped dress, blue cape and high footwear. The Archangel wears a blue, red and gold dress, characterised by rich ornaments and pearl embroidery. The colour combinations are elegant and enhance the sinuosity of the seemingly dancing bodies. 
This artwork was made at the happiest moment in Francesco Morandini’s career. It occurred after the decoration of the famous Studiolo of Francesco I in Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, under the direction of Giorgio Vasari and in collaboration with the so-called “Mannerist” painters. There is also a synthesis of Florentine mannerism in this work through the graceful poses and puffy garments of Andrea del Sarto, in the vibrant colors of Pontormo, and in the vivid foliage unique to Rosso Fiorentino.