Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665), The Rest on the Flight to Egypt, with the youthful Saint John the Baptist (circa 1626)

Nicolas Poussin (French, 1594-1665) The Rest on the Flight to Egypt, with the youthful Saint John the Baptist, circa 1626 Oil on canvas 50 x 60-3/4 inches (127 x 154.3 cm) Property from the Estates of Ramon Osuna and Robert Lennon, Washington, D.C. PROVENANCE: The artist; Monsignore, later Cardinal, Ascanio Filomarino (1581-1666), purchased from the above in Rome for 35 scudi, October 6, 1627; His nephew Ascanio Filomarino, Duca della Torre (d. 1685), his inventory (no. 151), 'Un altro di palmi 3 e 4 incirca Madonna Santissima puttino, S. Giovanni e molti Angioli del pittor Morsù Poesi con cornice d'oro liscia intagliata' (see G. Labrot, 'Collections of Paintings in Naples, 1600-1780,' The Provenance Index of the Getty Art History Information Program, Munich, 1992, p. 160 and R. Ruotolo, 'Aspetti del Collezionismo Napoletano: Il Cardinale Filomarino,' Antologia di belle arti, 1, 1977, pp. 71 and 82); Thence by descent through his brother and heir; Alfonso Filomarino, Duca della Torre (d. 1700), his posthumous inventory (see Ruotolo, op. cit, appendix II, pp. 80-82), and by descent to The Duchi della Torre, Palazzo Filomarino della Torre, Naples, where recorded by Fragonard and Ango in 1761 as well as in printed accounts (see Literature), until 1799; U.S. Art Market, Baltimore, Maryland, 1980s, as unknown seventeenth century painter; With the Osuna Gallery, Washington, D.C., as Pietro Testa. LITERATURE: C. Celano, Delle Notizie del bello, dell'antico e de curioso della città di Napoli, Naples, 1692, p. 37, reprinted 1792, Giornata quarta, p. 26, one of 'tre pezzi famosi de Monsu Poussin'; D.A. Parrino, Napoli città nobilissima, Naples, 1700, p. 174; C.-N. Cochin, Voyage d'Italie, III, Paris, 1758, pp. 187-8; J.-C.R. de Saint-Non, Voyage pittoresque, ou, Descriptions des royaumes de Naples et Sicile, Paris, 1781, I, pl. 114; La Lande, Voyage d'Italie, Paris, 1786, VII, p. 57; T. Martyn, The Gentleman's guide in his tour through Italy, London, 1787, p. 281; G. Sigismondo, Descrizione della città di Napoli, Naples, 1788, II, p. 204; T. Martyn, A Tour Through Italy: containing full descriptions for travelling in that interesting country: with ample catalogues of every thing that is curious in architecture, painting, sculpture, etc.: some observations on the natural history, and very particular descriptions of the four principal cities of Rome, Florence, Naples, and Venice, with their environs: with a coloured chart, London, 1791, p. 281; J. Smith, A catalogue raisonné, etc., VIII, London, 1837, no. 67; A. Andresen, Nicolas Poussin. Verzeichnis der nach seinen Gemälden gefertigen gleichzeitigen und späteren Kupferstiche, Leipzig, 1863, no. 118; L.E. Dussieux, Les artistes français a l'étranger, 3rd edition, Paris, 1876, p. 446; E. Magne, Nicolas Poussin, premier peintre du roi, 1594-1665 (documents inédits) suivi d'un catalogue raisonné, etc., Brussels and Paris, 1914, p. 214, no. 253; A.F. Blunt, 'Poussin Studies VII: Poussins in Neapolitan and Sicilian Collections,' The Burlington Magazine, January 1958, p. 79, figs. 6, 80, and 83; G. Wildenstein, 'Catalogue des Graveurs de Poussin par Andresen Traduction française abregée,' etc., Gazette des Beaux-Arts, July-August, 1962, pp. 151 and 159, no. A 118; A.F. Blunt, The Paintings of Nicolas Poussin: a critical catalogue, London, 1966, p. 45, no. 63; J. Thuillier, L'opera completa di Poussin, Milan, 1974, p. 114, no. B19; P. Rosenberg, Fragonard, exhibition catalogue, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1988, pp. 118-119, fig. 5; E. Fumagalli, 'Poussin et les collectionneurs romains au XVIIe siècle,' in Nicolas Poussin 1594-1665, exhibition catalogue, Paris, 1994, pp. 48-51; S. Schütze, 'Exemplum Romanitatis Poussin et la pittura napoletano del Seicento,' Poussin et Rome. Actes du colloque à l'Académie de France à Rome et à la Bibliotheca Hertziana, 1994, pp. 182-3ff; S. Amadio, 'Per una prima ricognizione di dipinti di Nicolas Poussin: regesto di documenti di collezioni romane tra Seicento e primo Settecento,' in Nicolas Poussin: I primi anni, exhibition catalogue, Rome, 1998,

Condition Report: The condition report provided by conservator David Bull in a letter to Sir Denis Mahon at the time of the painting's restoration, dated July 18, 2000 states, 'The previous wax lining had given a somewhat solid and unsympathetic feel to the canvas. This was removed and the painting has been relined with a lighter paste adhesive and given a new stretcher. The thick, insensitive varnish has been removed together with the rather coarse restorations. Now, I am in the process of retouching the paint losses carefully and hope to have completed the work by the end of August. The greatest gain has been in achieving a sense of space and light in the composition and more clarity and definition within the figures. Apart from the main tears in the canvas, there were a considerable number of tiny spots of old accretions or dirt scattered throughout the painting. When these are carefully retouched, the fluent brushwork becomes more legible. It is most interesting to see under high magnification how Poussin frequently used his fingers to dab the wet paint to crease a soft texture. It reminds me of how Leonardo used exactly the same technique and even used the palm of his hand for larger areas.' Presently under UV examination, the repaired and retouched tears noted by Bull appear to number five in total: 1) located on the ground just below the foremost seated putto at left, a horizontal area measuring approximately 11 inches long and 1 inch high, 2) located at the center of the left edge, approximately 12 ½ inches up from the lower edge and 2 inches inward from left edge, a vertical area measuring 12 inches high and 2 ½ inches wide, 3) located in the trees above the head of the Madonna, approximately 16 inches inward from right edge and 2 inches down from upper edge, a vertical area measuring 10 ½ inches high by 1 ½ inches wide, 4) located in the center of the right edge, approximately 3 inches inward from the edge, a vertical area measuring 10 inches high and 2 ½ inches wide, 5) located 3 inche