Vlucht naar Egypte 1891 - 1943

Editor: This is “Vlucht naar Egypte,” or "Flight to Egypt," a drawing done with pencil, pen, and ink on paper by Lodewijk Schelfhout, some time between 1891 and 1943. It’s got a definite storyboard feel, capturing a moment of pastoral escape. The toned paper gives it a vintage quality, but it’s the human element I find most captivating. What strikes you about it? Curator: It feels intensely personal, doesn’t it? Almost as if we’ve stumbled upon a page torn from Schelfhout’s own sketchbook. You’ve got this juxtaposition of the iconic biblical scene—Mary and Jesus fleeing on a donkey—with the very earthly details of a shepherd watching over his flock. Do you get the sense of distance, both physical and emotional? The shepherd, seemingly oblivious, is yet part of the same unfolding drama. Editor: I do now that you mention it! I was initially drawn to the religious aspect, but the shepherd really anchors the piece in an everyday reality. Almost like two stories unfolding at once. Is this a common theme? Curator: The ‘Flight to Egypt’ certainly is in religious art, often depicted with dramatic flair. But Schelfhout strips away the grandeur. He gives us intimacy. It’s the artistic process itself—the searching lines, the light pencil work—that reveals his focus. The landscape almost blends with the figure creating a beautiful harmony, wouldn’t you say? And note how the sunrise seems to illuminate them? Almost a gentle promise amidst uncertainty. Editor: I see it now. It’s a scene of hope but very private, a storybook style that merges the sacred with the mundane. I initially saw it just as a pretty sketch. Curator: And now? Perhaps it's become a silent whisper from the past? Schelfhout invites us to contemplate the quiet moments of faith and resilience, found not in cathedrals, but in humble, fleeting sketches.