Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt
(Baroque Europe )
After the departure of the wise men, the Gospel of Matthew reports that an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and warned him to take Mary and Jesus and flee to safety in Egypt. Here, they are guided by an angel through what should be an arid desert or wilderness but is more like the countryside near Antwerp. Jordaens may not have known-or cared-what desert terrain looked like, but his flamboyant vegetation lends baroque drama to the moment and is typical of the artist who followed in importance only Rubens and Van Dyck among Flemish painters of his time.However a comparison with a Netherlandish depiction from around 1520 of a related subject,
There are multiple variations on this composition by Jordaens and his workshop, the earliest of which is signed and dated 1640 (Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow).
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Duc de Trévise [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, December 8, 1947, no. 65; "M.F." Sale, Galerie Charpentier, Paris, March 20, 1953, no. 9; David M. Koetser Gallery, New York and London, 1953-54; Walters Art Museum, 1954, by purchase.
Exhibitions
| 1980 | Salute to Belgium. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1971-1972 | World of Wonder. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Geographies
Belgium, Antwerp (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 51 9/16 x W: 65 3/4 in. (131 x 167 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, 1954
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.2368