Vlucht naar Egypte 1620 - 1692

Pietro del Po created this print, "Flight into Egypt," sometime in the 17th century. The image depicts a biblical story in which the Holy Family flees to Egypt to escape persecution from King Herod. The print creates meaning through its visual codes. In this image, the angel is guiding Mary and baby Jesus on their journey. Joseph walks ahead, leading the donkey. The landscape is classicizing, which reminds us that the Italian artists of this period were very keen on classical antiquity. Del Po was working in the context of Counter-Reformation Rome, where the Catholic Church was reaffirming its doctrines and commissioning art that reinforced its authority. Prints like these circulated widely, shaping popular understandings of biblical narratives. As art historians, we use various research tools, such as historical documents, religious texts, and studies of patronage, to contextualize the artwork. Art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.