School of Antwerp first third century XVII."Rest of the Flight into Egypt".Oil on copper.Dutch-style frame from the early 20th century.Measurements: 17.5 x 14 cm; 33 x 29´5 cm (frame)As if it were a small enamel, this little jewel shines to the astonishment of any spectator. A display of skill in painting in a format bordering on miniature. The dimensions of the work do not prevent the master from developing a landscape full of detail, recreating the anecdotal aspects such as the castles and villages that are interspersed in the mountains. Each of the tiny brushstrokes recreate from the hair of the characters, to the foam of the moving water or the golden powers as flashes of the Holy Family.The work is based on an engraving by Johan Sadeler printed by Gibon, which must have been published at the end of the 16th century and which reproduces a lost work by Maerten de Voos. This edition had great repercussion in the artistic panorama of Flanders since it served to a great extent not only for the diffusion of de Voos himself and his fame but also the models that he created. The difficulty generated by the creation of a new model motivated both novice and master painters to follow the canons contained in the prints. In fact, the inventories of the great workshops of Antwerp or Bruges, for example, included these collections in their inventories.We know in particular that this work was taken from the engraving because if it had to be versioned from the original it would be inverted and therefore the composition, as if it were a photographic negative, would be the inverse. There is another copper similar to ours of inferior quality in the collection of Jonckheer of Geneva. It could be from another hand than ours but using the same engraving as a reference.As for the iconography, it is one of the least seen. It represents the moment when the Holy Family returns from their exile in Egypt, where they fled to avoid the slaughter of the innocents of King Herod, to the Holy Land. Completely far from a historical or geographical rigor, we are shown the characters in a fully central European landscape and them following the typical patterns of their iconography except for the boatmen and the lady who accompanies them crossing the Nile. The scene is especially interesting for how the different actions are developed. The Child, for example, feeds the donkey while he is tenderly held by the Virgin at the same time that he comments with the boatman about his crossing. Behind them a young girl listens attentively to the conversation while the other oarsman seems to be keeping an eye on the direction of the boat.