Fleeing the persecutions by Herod, the Holy Family finds rest at the foot of a tree. Saint Joseph, standing behind the saddled donkey, looks at the Virgin and the Baby Jesus, pointing his index finger towards the back of the animal as if urging them to leave. Mary wears a superb turban, a blue cloak as well as the traditional red dress with which she affectionately covers the Infant Christ. She gazes into the distance towards the long road that is yet to cover. We witness a scene of moving intimate family life, a simple and sincere moment of humanity.

Unjustly little-known today, Michele Desubleo is one of the most talented and interesting painters of the Seicento. After his apprenticeship in Antwerp under Abraham Janssens (1571/1575-1632), he joins his half-brother, the famous Caravaggisto Nicolas Régnier (ca 1588-1667), in Rome in 1624. He lives in Venice between 1655 and 1665 and, after a short stay in Milan, settles in Parma in 1666, where he dies ten years later. The presence of his works in the collections of the greatest families such as the Giustiniani, Medici, Colonna, Farnese and Este is evidence enough of the fame he rightly enjoyed during his lifetime.

Desubleo’s broad classical education is found on his extensive journeys through central and northern Italy. What makes him interesting today is first and foremost his hybrid style at a crossroads of French, Flemish and Italian traditions. It is characterized by original compositions that demonstrate his profound expressive autonomy.

Our painting undoubtedly dates back to Desubleo’s time in Bologna. Joseph’s head as well as the faces of the Virgin and the Baby Jesus are reminiscent of the famous heads of saints Desubleo saw in Guido Reni’s workshop. Originally attributed to Guido Reni, the work was purchased prior to 1666 by the wealthy Acquaviva family from Aragona for their Apulian residence at Coversano. Several 17th century copies are known, including one at the Soissons Museum that entre the Louvre in 1861 together with the Campana collection.