Angel appears to Saint Joseph, to persuade him to flee to Egypt, 1643

About the Work

Simone Cantarini’s works are distinguished by empathy coupled with precise observation. It is with circling lines that he has captured the angel bursting onto the scene to announce the earthly fatherhood of Jesus to Joseph in a dream; Mary is seen seated in the background. Although he slumbers, Joseph has turned towards the celestial messenger. In his painting of the scene, the artist abandoned this pose in favour of a more self-contained one.