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The scene represents an event from the Book of Tobit in the Old Testament. Tobit, who is old and blind, reclines in a chair, while his son Tobias rubs an ointment made of fish's gall into his eyes. Tobias has brought this ointment back from his journey, and it is supposed to restore his father's sight. Tobias is guided in administering the ointment by the archangel Raphael, who accompanied him on his journey and returned with him to his father's house.
The painting exhibits the features which Troger took over from the Italian masters and developed into his own style, with its characteristic bold chiaroscuro, expressive gestural language of the hands and fascinating symbolism of colour and light.
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