Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641), After - Riposo durante la fuga in Egitto

The painting depicts the theme of Rest during the flight into Egypt, a subject very common among painters of the 16th and 17th centuries.
The artwork depicts the Holy Family at rest, with Virgin Mary holding the Baby Jesus in her arms, while Saint Joseph watches over them.
The theme of the Flight into Egypt, narrated in the Gospel of Matthew, is based on the story of the Holy Family fleeing from the slaughter of the innocents ordered by Herod.
The 'rest' is an episode narrated in the apocryphal Gospels, in which the family stops to rest during the journey.
The displayed canvas is a faithful replica of a work by Antoon van Dyck, preserved in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.