Large Painting Mounted Under Glass; Religious Portrait Of Saint Raphael, The Angel Of Tobias; Folk Art; 55 Cm

Large 19th-century mounted religious image under glass – San Rafael – Saint Raphael and Tobias – Hispanic religious folk art – 55 x 44 cm

A highly decorative 19th-century religious image mounted under glass depicting San Rafael, Saint Raphael, accompanying the young Tobias.

The scene depicts the biblical episode of Tobias being guided by the archangel Raphael. The angel, standing tall and imposing, dominates the composition. He holds his staff and points the way to the young Tobias, who is positioned at the bottom of the composition, by the water’s edge. The fish, visible in the foreground, refers directly to the story in the Book of Tobit and to Saint Raphael’s healing and protective qualities.

The composition is structured like a small domestic altar: two side columns, a deep black background, silver foliage, golden and red flowers, candlesticks, and a lower cartouche bearing the inscription “SAN RAFAEL.” The piece has a striking decorative presence, with a marked contrast between the black background, the metallic highlights, and the polychromatic figures.

This mounted piece is the companion to another mounted piece under glass depicting Maria de los Dolores, also available separately.

This glass-framed piece is an example of 19th-century Hispanic religious folk art from Spain or Latin America. The scene is both narrative and devotional: the archangel guides, protects, and accompanies, in an image intended as much for prayer as for decorating a religious or family home.

The architectural setting with columns gives the scene the appearance of a miniature chapel. The silver foliage, stylized flowers, and candlesticks create a solemn frame around the figures. The rendering of the figures retains a folk-art freshness: the faces are gentle, the poses simple, and the details carefully highlighted.

The archangel Raphael is depicted here as the angel of travel, protection, and healing. The young Tobias, wearing a red tunic, introduces a more human and narrative dimension, which balances the angel’s vertical majesty.

Spanish work, Spain or Latin America
19th century
Religious folk art

Overall dimensions:

55 x 44 cm

Inscriptions:

“ SAN RAFAEL” at the bottom.

Antique black frame.
Signs of wear and minor losses.