Poelenburgh was a Dutch Italianate artist; a Dutchman who travelled to Italy and subsequently developed a style influenced by the art he saw there. One aspect of painting that the Dutch Italianate artists particularly picked up on in Italy was the depiction of light, which was soft and warm as opposed to the usual cool, precise lighting of Northern landscape painting.

Poelenburgh himself was in Italy for 10 years from 1617 and specialised in small landscapes dotted with ruins and often mythological or biblical figures. He was a very successful artist and was invited to England to work for Charles I.

The Beecroft’s 'Tobias and the Angel' is painted on copper which has helped preserve the brilliant colours and is extremely skilfully done considering the tiny scale of the work.