His work was a synthesis of various influences: to the lessons he learned from Solimena and his memories of the later paintings by Luca Giordano, he blended the more decorative, Roman, models of Pozzo and Gaulli.

As Arnauld Brejon de Lavergnée emphasizes: “Above all, he knew how to vary his style: as much as his official, well-balanced compositions remained heavily indebted to Maratta in feeling, so the paintings done for individuals are more spiritual, seeking a fluid effect”.

The work of Conca would considerably influence young French artists arriving in Rome to perfect their artistic education under the direction of Jean-François de Troy or Natoire. Attentive to the importance of teaching, in 1739 Conca wrote his “Ammonimenti”, a book of advice on morals and technical counsel aimed at young painters. The influence of Giordano (especially that of his later copperplates) is particularly notable in the supple, delicate skill of our composition, as well as in the warmth of his palette. Maratta’s classical teachings are perceptible in the balanced composition and the very maternal gentleness of the Virgin’s gestures. These characteristics can be found in a number of works from his youth, like the very beautiful Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine in the collection of the Accademia di San Luca, and painted before 1718.

Throughout his career, Conca treated the subject of the Rest on the Flight to Egypt, painting numerous versions. Through them, one sees an evolution in his style, from a copperplate executed in 1738 (Brinsley Ford Collection, London), to a canvas, dated 1741 (Spoleto, Chiesa della Manna d’Oro), marking a return to our composition (see Sebastiano Conca (1680-1764), Gaète, 1981, p. 297, no. 107a).

Another version of our canvas exists. Formerly in a private collection in Bologna (Hercolani Fava collection), it is painted on copper and smaller in size (44 x 33 cm, idem, p. 101, no. 8). Conca exhibited it in 1713 at the Mostra de San Salvador in Lauro, allowing us to be precise in the dating of our composition.

Certain of the figures are repeated in compositions of other subjects: the angel in the Annonciation in the museum in Atlanta, and again in Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane at the Pinacoteca Vaticana ; the Saint Joseph is also found in The Holy Family with Saint Nicolas de Bari and Saint Charles Borromeo.