Tobias and the Angel Raphael

In this dramatic drawing, the young Tobias kneels before the towering figure of the Archangel Raphael, who points heavenward, his other hand resting gently on Tobias's shoulder. The scene, rendered in a striking combination of pen and brown ink with wash, captures a pivotal moment from the Book of Tobit, where Raphael guides Tobias on a journey. The artist uses strong contrasts of light and shadow, particularly visible in the angel's flowing drapery and Tobias's upturned face, to heighten the emotional intensity. Notice the subtle use of lead white, now oxidized to a darker tone, which once would have made the highlights pop even more vibrantly against the dark washes. This work, created in 1603, precedes Tobias Young's documented exhibition career by over a century, suggesting it might be an early work or possibly an attribution to a different artist with the same name.