18th- To 19th-Century Old Master “The Rest of the Holy Family During the Flight Into Egypt” After Anthonius Van Dyck

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On offer is an 18th- or 19th-century copy of Sir Anthony van Dyck's 1630 painting, “The Rest of the Holy … Read more On offer is an 18th- or 19th-century copy of Sir Anthony van Dyck's 1630 painting, “The Rest of the Holy Family during the Flight into Egypt.” The original painting hangs in Munich’s Alte Pinakothek. The artwork portrays the Holy Family, including Saint Joseph, here depicted as an older, bearded man, and his wife Mary, holding the infant Jesus as they pause to rest during their journey to escape King Herod's persecution.
Born in Antwerp in 1599, Van Dyck became a master in the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke by age 19, and then the chief assistant to the master painter Peter Paul Rubens. During a six-year stay in Italy, Van Dyck was heavily influenced by the Venetian painter Titian, while developing his signature style of full-length portraits of the aristocracy.
So admired for his works’ refined sophistication and dramatic use of light and shadow, Van Dyck’s greatest success came in 1632, at age 33, when King Charles I of England appointed him as the principal court painter and granted him a knighthood. The artist’s work for the royal family, and the English court set a new standard for British portraiture.
While famous for portraits, he was also a prolific painter of religious and mythological scenes, such as this one, creating several versions of the "Rest on the Flight into Egypt" theme throughout his career. This particular "old master" copy, represents the common 18th- and 19th- centuries’ practice in which artists would reproduce famous works, typically for wealthy travelers on the Grand Tour.
Signature: Bottom, left, appears to read "van Dyck, copy [by] Krivenko" or a similar name starting with "K". Image dimensions: 17.25" wide x 20" high. See less