The Flight into Egypt 1555 - 1630

Antonio Tempesta created this engraving, The Flight into Egypt, in Italy, a devoutly Catholic country, sometime in the late 16th or early 17th century. It depicts Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus fleeing to Egypt to escape King Herod's decree to kill all male children. Tempesta uses the visual codes of his time to tell the story. The holy family is bathed in divine light, emphasizing their sacred status. Angels guide and protect them. The landscape is idealized, reflecting a belief in the harmony between the natural world and the divine will. This would have resonated deeply within the Counter-Reformation in Europe. To understand this print, one can consult religious texts, historical accounts of the period, and the artist's other works. It provides insights into the religious and social values that shaped artistic production at the time. It reminds us that our understanding of art is contingent on social and institutional contexts.