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an image of a painting of a group of people in a wooded areaPhoto 2/2 du lot
ALEXANDRE LANDRE - SEMUR-EN-AUXOIS

25 - Francesco ALBANI (1578–1660), workshop of
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Estimate €3,000 - €5,000
Sale commission
Description
Francesco ALBANI (1578–1660), workshop of The Rest on the Flight into Egypt Oil on canvas. H_106.5 cm W_134 cm (Minor damage and restoration (face of the angel to the left of the Virgin). Around 1595, Francesco Albani joined the Accademia degli Incamminati, founded in Bologna by the Carracci family, following an initial apprenticeship in the studio of the Flemish painter Denys Calvaert. There he absorbed the principles of the Bolognese pictorial reform initiated by Ludovico, Agostino and Annibale Carracci. This training left a lasting mark on his work. Albani nevertheless quickly developed a personal style, characterised by great delicacy of execution, figures with graceful poses, and a light, luminous palette, enhanced by the use of high-quality pigments whose colours are characteristic of the Bolognese school. This affinity with the Carracci was not limited to a mere stylistic influence. In the early 17th century, Albani joined Annibale Carracci in Rome, where he took part in several projects associated with the master. This collaboration gave him privileged access to the repertoire of compositions, drawings and models developed by Annibale. Like other artists of his generation, Albani drew on some of these designs, interpreting and adapting them to his own artistic language. The circulation of models within this artistic circle thus explains the existence of several versions of the same composition, executed by Annibale, his collaborators or their workshops. Our large painting is a prime example of this practice. It draws on a composition particularly favoured by Francesco Albani, borrowed from a design by Annibale Carracci, a copy of which is now held at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. Albani adapted his master’s design whilst retaining the general layout of the scene. Several examples attest to the success of this composition. One notable version, painted by Francesco Albani in Annibale Carracci’s Roman workshop, is now held at the Princeton University Art Museum. Another, in a tondo format—a style particularly favoured by Albani—was auctioned at Sotheby’s in Paris on 23 March 2023, lot 113. The existence of these different versions perfectly illustrates how the Bolognese workshops operated in the early 17th century: far from being merely copied, the masters’ compositions formed a shared repertoire that could be revisited, transformed and adapted by their workshops. Our ‘Rest of the Holy Family’ fits perfectly into this creative context and reflects the quality of the Master’s workshop, despite an unsightly repainting of the angel’s face on the left-hand side of the composition, which can be corrected. Expert: Artéon consultancy - Expert: Artéon consultancy
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About the sale Collection of the Château de Villebourgeon & others
Auction location
Auction time 10/04/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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