Attributed to Francisco Antolínez

Attributed to FRANCISCO ANTOLÍNEZ Y SARABIA (Seville, around 1645 - Madrid, 1700).
"Rest of the flight to Egypt".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
It has a frame from the early twentieth century.
Measurements: 50 x 61 cm; 68 x 79.5 cm (frame).
The flight to Egypt is an episode of the Gospel of Matthew very treated in art, often used to identify the Holy Family with those disadvantaged by emigration and political repression. The New Testament story, very brief and typical of the Gospel of Matthew, tells how an angel appears in a dream to St. Joseph and tells him that he must flee to Egypt with Mary and the Child, because King Herod was looking for him to kill him. Joseph obeys, and after a while he is ordered to return, in a similar manner.
The atmospheric dusting that the artist manages to capture, added to the way of composing the scene through the arrangement of the characters, invites us to think of the painting of Francisco Antolínez. In addition, this work follows the model of the paintings currently in the Prado Museum in Madrid, attributed to Francisco Antolínez. In this set we can appreciate a work that also portrays the episode of the flight to Egypt. This painting comes from the Convent of San Felipe el Real (Madrid), and entered the Prado Museum from the Museo de la Trinidad.
Brother of the painter José Antolínez, Francisco was a lawyer by profession, although his curiosity led him to take an interest in a wide range of subjects. He was thus introduced to the practice of painting, obtaining success with small format works generally starring small figures against a background of landscape or architecture. Ceán Bermúdez noted that after studying law in Seville, he learned painting at Murillo's school, attending the academy established in the Casa Lonja of the same city, where he was recorded in 1672. That same year he must have moved to Madrid to meet with José Antolínez, although it is probable that after his death he returned for some time to his native city. Finally he will settle definitively in Madrid. Francisco Antolínez was able to make a living from painting, but in spite of this he did not sign his works, since he preferred to present himself as a lawyer. Antolínez shows himself to be heir to the Flemish style of Ignacio de Iriarte in his landscapes, and in the architectural backgrounds of Matías de Torres. Regarding his figures, they denote a clear Murilloesque character. Francisco Antolínez is currently represented in the Prado Museum, the Castrelos Museum in Vigo, the Provincial Museum of Ciudad Real, the Episcopal Palace of Huesca, the parish of Santa Ana de Brea de Aragón, the church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios in Zamora and other religious centers, public and private collections.