The Rest on the flight into Egypt

Chiari, Giuseppe Bartolomeo, after · 1707

Mezzotint on paper of The Rest on the flight into Egypt with angels, engraved and published by John Smith (1652-1743) in London in 1707; lettering erased. States with lettering include the quote, ‘Cum in orbem inducit primogenitum, dicit, adorent eum omnes angeli Dei’ (When he brings his firstborn into the world, he says let all God’s angels adore him), from Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews (1.6). The composition is a copy of a painting by Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari (1654-1727), formerly attributed to Carlo Maratti (1652-1713), now in Calke Abbey in Derbyshire (NT 290193). The Holy Family are assisted by angels, two of whom present a basket to the Christ child who sits on Mary’s lap while Joseph standing over them. The basket contains a hammer, pliers, nails, crown of thorns and a whip, symbols of the coming Passion. The child picks up a nail and holds a cross in his other hand. Various seraphim and cherubim are also in attendance. Most of the angels were only uncovered in the original painting when it was cleaned in 1995.