Perugino ; Raphael - Studies for Tobias and the Angel

The central figures show the Archangel Raphael holding the hand of Tobias, whom he leads on a journey. The angel carries a small box, or pyxis, which in the biblical narrative contains the fish's liver and gall used for healing. Finely hatched lines define the figures, while separate studies of two heads appear on the left margin of the sheet.

The narrative of Tobias and the Angel provided a scriptural foundation for Renaissance 'natural magic,' specifically the use of organic substances for exorcism and healing. Within the Western esoteric tradition, Raphael is frequently invoked in Kabbalistic and Hermetic texts as the celestial intelligence governing the restoration of sight and the compounding of the 'Great Medicine.'