Tobias and the Angel

About the artwork

Raphael carries a walking staff, while the small traveler beside him wears a brown coat and red stockings and carries a bundle. The open grass and bending water leave space around them. There is no threatening encounter in view: Uhde makes companionship itself the subject of this stage of the journey.

This 1902 pastel is the last of six Tobias subjects recorded in Rosenhagen’s 1908 catalogue. The white wings make the companion’s identity clear to the viewer. In the Book of Tobit, however, Tobias begins the journey without knowing that the man accompanying him is an angel. Uhde turns that hidden protection into a visible presence.

Featured in: Fritz von Uhde’s Bible Paintings: Jesus at the Peasants’ Table, and Why It Was Called Blasphemous

What does Tobit 6:1 mean?

Tobias travels at his father Tobit’s request to recover money deposited far from home. Raphael offers to guide him, presenting himself as a suitable human companion. The journey belongs to a larger story in which help reaches both Tobit’s household and Sarah, whom Tobias will marry.

The paired verse marks their departure together. Its emphasis on setting out suits this quiet landscape, before the later dangers and healings. The angel’s wings are Uhde’s explanation of the story for the viewer; they are not something Tobias is said to recognize at this point.

Tobit 5–6 supplies the journey behind the image, while the visible wings disclose the guide’s identity before Tobias learns it.

Sources

Wikimedia Commons — image and catalog references.

Fritz von Uhde’s Bible Paintings: Jesus at the Peasants’ Table, and Why It Was Called Blasphemous. Artwork reading adapted from this guide.

Hans Rosenhagen — Uhde (1908). Historical catalogue and discussion of the work; historical ownership is not a claim about its present location.

Tobit 5–6 — United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Raphael joins the journey in disguise; chapter 6 continues their travels. Verse numbering varies by translation.