Landscape with the Rest on the Flight to Egypt

“And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream…”
Matthew 2:13–15

This peaceful landscape shows the Holy Family resting during their flight into Egypt, a brief, tender pause in a journey defined by uncertainty and protection.

Painted in the Circle of Bartholomeus Breenbergh and monogrammed “BB,” it reflects the influence of Dutch artists working in Rome in the early 1600s, who combined real landscapes with classical ruins and biblical narrative.

The Holy Family sits quietly within a carefully constructed setting of ruins, bridges, distant hills and softened light. It feels both imagined and familiar; an idealised world shaped to hold a very human story.

There is a gentle intimacy in the figures: the Christ Child leans into Mary, Joseph looks on with calm attention, and the young John the Baptist appears beside them, holding his reed cross. A small lamb rests at his feet, a quiet symbol of what is to come. His gesture draws us into the scene, as though gently reminding us of the story’s deeper meaning.

Despite its symbolism, the painting remains deeply tender. It is really a moment of stillness between journeys, a sense of safety, closeness, and quiet companionship.

Provenance: Extensive European and UK exhibition and auction history (1972–2024)