Artwork
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt is an ink drawing by the Baroque artist Carlo Antonio Tavella. It dates from 1720 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Carlo Antonio Tavella’s drawing titled *The Rest on the Flight into Egypt* dates from around 1720. Executed on laid paper with pen, brown ink, brush, and a brown wash, the work is a modestly sized study that captures a brief pause in the biblical journey of the Holy Family.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a man seated with an infant on a rocky riverbank, while another figure leans nearby, gazing downward. Behind them, a line of trees frames the shore and a distant vessel can be seen on the water, suggesting a moment of respite amid travel.
Technique & Style
Tavella employs swift, loose strokes of brown ink to outline figures and landscape, creating a sense of immediacy. Subtle brown washes deepen the terrain, while selective white highlights illuminate the characters and certain foliage, giving the sketch a lively, atmospheric quality characteristic of early‑18th‑century Baroque drawing.
History & Provenance
The drawing is attributed to Tavella, an Italian artist active in the early 1700s, and is dated circa 1720. Its provenance traces to private collections before entering a museum holding of Baroque drawings, where it serves as an example of the period’s preparatory studies.
Artist & collection
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Rest on the Return from Egypt
Education of the Virgin
The Holy Family
The Adoration of the Shepherds
Flight into Egypt