SEGUIDOR DE ALESSANDRO ALGARDI

(S. XVIII - XIX)

FOLLOWER OF ALESSANDRO ALGARDI (18TH - 19TH CENTURY) "Rest on the Flight into Egypt"

Bas-relief in cast, chiseled, and gilded bronze. Executed at an uncertain date, the connection and derivation from models by Alessandro Algardi are beyond doubt in this work depicting the Rest on the Flight into Egypt. The principal members of the Holy Family are resting under a blue sky. The Virgin, in the center, wraps a cloth around the Child Jesus, while Saint Joseph, seated, looks up from the book he is holding, casting a complacent glance at his wife and son. The sculptor's original composition was very popular in its time, and various versions were made in other bronzes and other materials, in which various variations can be found. This example is unique in that it lacks the landscape development of other models, which also feature a young angel. Among the best-known are those held at the Fitzwilliam and Victoria & Albert Museums in London and the National Gallery of Art in Washington. Like other examples, the work is presented in a large octagonal frame made of ebonized wood. Dimensions: 28 x 33 cm. Octagonal frame dimensions: 60 x 68 cm.