Flight into Egypt 

Odilon Redon created "Flight into Egypt," and while the exact date remains unknown, it invites us to consider the world it emerged from. Redon lived through a time of immense social change and upheaval in France, including the Franco-Prussian War and the rise of modernism. This piece, shrouded in mystery and darkness, depicts Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus fleeing to Egypt to escape King Herod's infanticide. Redon eschews traditional religious iconography, presenting the scene with an ethereal, dreamlike quality. The figures are bathed in a soft, otherworldly light, highlighting their vulnerability and the precariousness of their journey. This was a period of growing secularism and questioning of religious authority, and Redon's portrayal reflects a more personal, introspective approach to spirituality. Redon’s own words resonate here: "My only crime has been to carry the fruits of my art beyond the limits of the visible." “Flight into Egypt” prompts us to contemplate the human condition and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world.