Scenes from the book of Tobias

During the Renaissance the most magnificent and versatile series of tapestries were made of precious gold- and silk threads. Those produced in the manufactories at Brussels were of first-class quality and thus highly regarded. The series depicting the story of Tobias which is now in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum is generally attributed to the circle of Barent van Orley. The eight monumental tapestries of the series depict the story of Tobias who, accompanied by the Archangel Raphael, sets out to collect the money lent by his blind father to a man in a distant city. During his dangerous journey he wins himself a young wife, Sarah, and on his return home restores his father´s eyesight. After cleaning and restoration-work that lasted several years, the complete series is now on show in Austria for the first time.