When Bartolomé Estebán Murillo painted Angel Raphael with a fish around 1680, he was nearing the end of his life and career, yet still at the height of his fame in Seville. This work is one of several he created on the theme of the Archangel Raphael, a subject that enjoyed particular popularity in Spain due to Raphael's association with healing and protection—an especially resonant message in a city often ravaged by plague. The painting’s popularity is evident in the number of versions and copies produced by Murillo and his workshop, a testament to its appeal among both private patrons and religious institutions. The scene captures the moment from the Book of Tobit when the young Tobias, guided by the angel Raphael in disguise, carries a large fish whose organs will later cure his father's blindness and drive away evil.

Murillo freezes the narrative as Tobias, a boy with a trusting gaze, walks hand-in-hand with the radiant angel, the fish gripped firmly in his other hand. The gentle gesture of Raphael’s guiding hand and the direct, almost familial connection between the two figures speak to the painting’s message of divine guardianship. The soft, golden light and the tender realism of the figures are hallmarks of Murillo’s late style, setting his interpretation apart from, for example, Rembrandt’s more dramatic and shadowed Tobit and Anna with the Kid. The precise early history of this painting is uncertain, though it was likely commissioned for a private devotional setting, as was common for Murillo's religious works in Seville.

Over the centuries, Angel Raphael with a fish has passed through several collections, reflecting the enduring esteem for Murillo’s gentle spirituality and technical finesse. Today, it is recognized as a fine example of late Baroque painting in Spain, and it remains a highlight in any collection fortunate enough to possess it. The painting’s enduring popularity has ensured its survival and continued study, even as scholars debate the attribution of various workshop versions.