The Flight into Egypt (from The Life of the Virgin, set of 20)
Artist: Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471-1528)
Date: about 1504-1505
Dimensions:
11 15/16 x 8 3/16 in.
Medium: Woodcut
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Museum Purchase
Object number: 1924.50
Label Text:In a scene from the Bible, the Virgin Mary, Joseph, and the infant Christ flee into Egypt after Joseph was warned in a dream that King Herod wished to have Christ killed. Fifteen winged cherubs watch over the scene as the Holy Family travels through the dark, exotic forest accompanied by an ox and donkey. This image is unprecedented for its three-dimensionality, achieved through the extremely detailed and delicate foliage of the trees and shrubs, and the skillful use of dense, parallel hatching for shading. The inclusion of a date palm (left edge) and dragon tree (right side, with twisted trunk and limbs) are used to indicate a Middle Eastern setting, as well as to symbolically reference nourishment and health.
The tablet bearing the artist’s monogram is almost hidden in the foreground and reminds the viewer that Dürer was the first artist to consistently sign both his woodcuts and his engravings.
The tablet bearing the artist’s monogram is almost hidden in the foreground and reminds the viewer that Dürer was the first artist to consistently sign both his woodcuts and his engravings.
Not on view
In Collection(s)