The artwork “The Archangel Raphael Taking Leave of the Tobit Family” is a creation by Rembrandt, completed in the year 1637. This oil on board painting measures 52 by 66 centimeters and embodies the Baroque movement, with a particular emphasis on Tenebrism, which is evident in its use of stark contrasts in light and shadow. The genre of the painting is religious, and it presently resides in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
In this piece, Rembrandt masterfully depicts the scene from the apocryphal book of Tobit, where the Archangel Raphael reveals his true identity and departs from the household of Tobit. The painting is characterized by a dramatic use of chiaroscuro, with the angel dramatically illuminated, his resplendent wings catching the light as he takes flight. Below him, the Tobit family is gathered in a shadowed, humble interior, reacting to the revelation with a mixture of awe and subdued emotion. The figures are rendered with expressive detail, and the earthly tones of their garments and surroundings form a stark contrast with the celestial brightness of the angel, enhancing the ethereal quality of the scene. The emotion conveyed through the gestures and faces of the characters adds to the narrative force of the work, inviting contemplation on the divine interaction with humanity.