Who painted The Rest on The Flight into Egypt?

The Rest on The Flight into Egypt was painted by Simone Cantarini in 1640.

Where can I see The Rest on The Flight into Egypt?

The Rest on The Flight into Egypt is held by Pinacoteca di Brera.

What movement is The Rest on The Flight into Egypt?

The Rest on The Flight into Egypt is associated with Early Baroque Italian.

Artwork

The Rest on The Flight into Egypt

Simone Cantarini , 1640

The Rest on The Flight into Egypt is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Simone Cantarini. It dates from 1640 and is held in the collection of the Pinacoteca di Brera. Created in 1640, this oil painting depicts a quiet moment from the biblical Flight into Egypt.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1640, this oil painting depicts a quiet moment from the biblical Flight into Egypt. The composition centers on a seated woman cradling an infant, while a standing male figure offers a bird to the child. A pair of cherubic figures hover above a sky filled with clouds, and a wooded landscape frames the scene, conveying a calm, intimate atmosphere.

Subject & Meaning

The work illustrates a pause during the Holy Family’s escape, emphasizing tenderness and protection. The woman, identified as the Virgin, holds the infant Jesus, whose reaching gesture toward the man—traditionally Joseph—suggests a bond of trust. The offered bird may symbolize the Holy Spirit or a gesture of peace, while the cherubs above reinforce the scene’s divine oversight.

Technique & Style

The palette features cool blues and warm ochres, and the soft rendering of textures—fabric, skin, and foliage—enhances the work’s realistic yet reverent tone.

Executed in the early Baroque idiom, the painting combines the disciplined classicism of the Bolognese school with a vigorous naturalism. Cantarini employs chiaroscuro to model the figures, creating depth through contrasts of light and shadow. The palette features cool blues and warm ochres, and the soft rendering of textures—fabric, skin, and foliage—enhances the work’s realistic yet reverent tone.

History & Provenance

The canvas was painted by Simone Cantarini, also known as il Pesarese, an Italian painter and etcher active in the first half of the 17th century. After his death in 1648, the painting entered various collections before being acquired by the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s Baroque holdings.