SARACENI, Carlo
(b. 1579, Venezia, d. 1620, Venezia)

The Rest on the Flight into Egypt

1606
Oil on canvas, 180 x 125 cm
Eremo dei Camaldolesi, Frascati

This monumental composition, executed for the Camaldolite hermitage in Frascati, includes a number of details that not only enliven the subject, but also transform it into an almost intimate narrative. The landscape setting is remarkable in itself and appears to have been based on the work of Adam Elsheimer. Saraceni did take some inspiration from Caravaggio's Rest on the Flight into Egypt in which music also comforts the Holy Family on their difficult journey.