The Flight into Egypt (from Altar of Philip the Bold) 1399

Melchior Broederlam painted “The Flight into Egypt,” part of the Altar of Philip the Bold, around 1394, using tempera and gold leaf on wood. Broederlam worked for the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Bold, a patron of the arts during a time of political and artistic exchange. In this panel, the biblical story unfolds with Mary, Jesus, and Joseph fleeing to Egypt to escape Herod's infanticide. The emotional weight of the journey is palpable. Mary, cloaked in deep blue, cradles her child, her face a study in protective love and exhaustion. Broederlam juxtaposes the opulence of the building with the raw, untamed landscape, inviting reflection on safety versus vulnerability. The detailed rendering of the natural world, coupled with the emotional depth of the figures, transcends the traditional religious narrative. It speaks to universal themes of family, displacement, and the search for refuge.