Rest on the Flight into Egypt 1596 - 1598

Hans Rottenhammer created this pen and brown ink drawing titled "Rest on the Flight into Egypt" sometime between the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The Holy Family is shown pausing during their escape to Egypt, a common theme in art of the period. This drawing was made in the context of the Counter-Reformation, when the Catholic Church sought to revitalize religious art. The image creates meaning through its visual codes and cultural references; we can see the idealized figures of Mary and the infant Jesus contrasted with Joseph, who appears as an older, working man. Rottenhammer uses this imagery to speak to the social structures of his time, highlighting the importance of family and the dignity of labor, values upheld by the Church. To fully understand this work, art historians consider the religious and political climate of the time, researching the patronage system and the role of art in promoting specific ideologies. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.