Tobit Burying the Dead

Andrea di Lione

1640s · Oil on canvas · European Paintings

In the 1640s, the Neapolitan painter Andrea di Lione visited Rome, where he met Nicolas Poussin and Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, a painter famous for his imaginary architecture and pastoral landscapes. This work’s pronounced classicism—including the careful citation of ancient architecture and its blonde tonality—is indebted to these artists’ influence. The cloaked figure represents the Old Testament character Tobit. A devout Jew, Tobit defied an earthly decree by the local king requiring Jewish people to be buried outside the city walls in favor of divine law concerning respect for the dead.

Artist

Andrea di Lione

Date

1640s

Medium

Oil on canvas

Department

European Paintings

Credit line

Gwynne Andrews Fund, 1989