Victor Wolfvoet - Rest on the flight to Egypt

17th century Flemish Old master painting "The Rest on the flight into Egypt", Victor Wolfvoet the Younger
 
Amidst a serene landscape, the Holy Family rests beneath the shade of a sprawling tree. Mary, seated gracefully, holds the infant Jesus, her gaze tender and contemplative. Joseph, slightly reclined nearby, watches over them with quiet vigilance. A young John the Baptist approaches with reverence, his expression is one of awe and devotion, as if he already senses the divine purpose of the one before him.
 
The landscape stretches softly into the distance, rolling hills bathed in warm, ethereal light. A gentle breeze seems to stir the leaves, lending the scene a quiet, sacred stillness. In this moment of rest, the burdens of their journey fade, replaced by a quiet harmony; an intimate glimpse of love, faith, and the promise of redemption.
 
Victor Wolfvoet the Younger was born in Antwerp in 1612 as the son of Victor Wolfvoet the Elder, a painter and art dealer, and Brigitta Voorwercx. He became a member of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke around 1644-5 and some sources refer to Wolfvoet as a pupil of Rubens. The artist's estate comprised a substantial collection of artworks of seven hundred items. The inventory of his estate lists twenty sketches by Rubens, including several designs for the ceilings of the Carolus Borromeus Church in Antwerp and six bozzetti for the Triumph of the Eucharist tapestry series. There are also sketches by other artists, many unattributed sketches and framed grisailles, and a number of sketches after Rubens. Some of the sketches were likely in Wolfvoet's own hand, like his copies after Rubens' Abraham and Melchizedek and Manna from Heaven both now in the Mauritshuis, The Hague. The large collection of works has been regarded as evidence that the artist may also have been active as an art dealer. His oeuvre has long remained in obscurity and has only recently been placed back into the spotlight it deserves. A copy of an article published on the artist in the Burlington magazine will be included in the information pack for the buyer.
 
The oil on copper measures ca. 72,5 by 56 cms and with the frame ca. 92 by 76 cms.
 
Provenance: private collection