Tobias and the Angel Poster

This poster features Verrocchio's Tobias and the Angel.

The subject is taken from the apocryphal Book of Tobit. Tobias was sent by his blind father, the merchant Tobit, to collect a debt. 'Ricordo' (memorandum) is written on a small scroll in the boy's hand. The Archangel Raphael who accompanies Tobias instructs him to extract the heart, liver and gall from a fish as a cure to heal his father's blindness. Raphael is shown holding a small box containing the remedy.

The story of Tobias and the angel was a popular subject in 15th-century Florence, where a confraternity of Saint Raphael flourished. Raphael was venerated as a protector of travellers and as a healer. The theme of filial piety, enterprise and charity was important for the merchant families of the city.

It is likely that more than one artist worked on the painting, consistent with practice in Verrocchio's workshop. Some parts - most notably the dog - have been plausibly proposed as the work of the young Leonardo.

Tobias and the Angel by Andrea del Verrocchio was the focus of the Take One Picture schools course, 2009/10. Take One Picture looks at ways of using paintings in the classroom as a starting point for delivering many areas of the National Curriculum. This principle aligns closely with the DCSF Primary National Strategy: Excellence and Enjoyment, which supports a holistic approach to the curriculum by exploiting the links between subject areas.