Lot 73: Tommaso Maria Conca , Rome 1735 - 1822 the rest on the flight into Egypt Black chalk, within black chalk framing lines; the artist's abbreviated first names signed in black chalk on the fallen stone, lower right: T Ù M. / MAP / V.D.

Black chalk, within black chalk framing lines; the artist's abbreviated first names signed in black chalk on the fallen stone, lower right: T Ù M. / MAP / V.D.

measurements note 459 by 518mm

With Crispian Riley-Smith, London; acquired in 2001

Tommaso Maria was the nephew and pupil of Sebastiano Conca, and is best known for his Carraccesque paintings of mythological subjects. This scene is one of the artist's few forays into biblical themes; the sphinx, hieroglyphs and the grecian-style signature all betray Conca's interest in the ancient world. Another treatment of the subject by the artist is in the collection of the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca, Rome, although there the family are amongst Roman, rather than Egyptian relics.υ1 1. See S. Rudolph (ed.), La pittura del 1700 a Roma, Milan 1983, no. 199