The Rest on the Flight into Egypt

As Norgate explained in his treatise, such subject miniatures were unknown in England until 'of late years it pleased a most excellent King to command...some of his own pieces, of Titian...to be translated into English limning, which indeed were admirably performed by his Servant, Mr Peter Oliver'. Charles I (ruled 1625-1649) was a great connoisseur and collector. He had a magnificent collection of oil paintings. His command to have them copied in miniature reflects the value he placed on both his collection and miniature painting, a highly prized and exquisite watercolour art.

Ownership & Use

Charles I (1625-1649) employed the Dutch wax-modeller Abraham van der Doort (born around 1575-1580, died 1640) to look after his collection of paintings. This copy by Oliver after a painting by Titian (born around 1485, died 1576) was a highly prized object and stored as such. Van der Doort recorded for Charles that it was 'kept in your new cabinet room within your cupboards...at Whitehall'. Here, it was one of ten miniatures kept in 'double shutting cases with locks and keys and glasses over them'. Titian's original oil painting, of which this is a copy, survives in a private collection in Rome. This miniature matches the description of the Titian in the inventory of Charles I's collection.

Subject Depicted

The miniature depicts the New Testament story of the Flight into Egypt. Joseph is warned in a dream that King Herod is seeking the infant Jesus to kill him. So he flees with Mary and Jesus to safety in Egypt.