Jan Asselijn

Essay:

This fine pair of paintings are typical of Jan Asselijn in their treatment of the magical Italianate light of the Bamboccianti. A particular defining feature of his work are the brightly coloured and highly animated figures. Interestingly though, in a slight departure from his usual subject matter we also see him working on a biblical subject. Here Tobias, the son of Tobit, catches a fish under the instruction of an the Angel Raphael. He then uses an ointment made from the gall bladder of the fish to cure his father's blindness.

Provenance:

Private Collection, The Netherlands