About this artwork

The attribution of this sheet to Maganza is based on its stylistic similarities with his other compositional drawings of similar subjects. This drawing shows the Holy Family attended by angels during the Rest on the Flight into Egypt. The subject is a relatively rare one, and derives from an episode that is recorded in the Golden Legend. One of the Angels is shown fastening a makeshift canopy over the figures, while another presents the infant Christ with fruit and a flower. Maganza painted a picture of this subject around 1605 for the church of San Gaetano in Brescia. This drawing may be an early compositional design for that commission, although there are significant differences between this sketch and the painting.

Updated before 2020

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