The Rest on the Flight into Egypt

Several versions of this composition exist. Another one on copper is in the collection of Sir Denis Mahon; it was formerly attributed to Sebastiano Conca by Anthony Clark, but presented as attributed to Francesco Solimena by Gabriele Finaldi and Michael Kitson in the exhibition Discovering the Italian Baroque. The Denis Mahon Collection, 26 February - 18 May 1997, pp. 160-1, no. 76, illustrated). Another version on canvas is in the Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence, Kansas. When donated to the museum in 1950 it was catalogued as a work by Sébastian Bourdon, subsequently Frederico Zeri attributed it to Giuseppe Chiari and when it was de-accessioned in 1985 it was catalogued as 'attributed to Giovanni Battisa Rossi'. The picture is now in a private collection, New York, and was recently published as Solimena by Nicola Spinosa (Pittura napoletana del Settecento dal Barocco al Rococò, Naples, 1988, no. 13, pp. 104 and 185, fig. 16).

That the composition is Solimena's is confirmed by the inscription 'Franc.^o Solimena pinx.' under an engraving (in reverse) by Bernard Baron, dated 1724 (ibid.).