The Flight into Egypt

Workshop of the MASTER of 1518:
Mary, Joseph and Jesus are shown travelling to Egypt. In the background are shown the Miracles of the Corn and of the Statue (legends associated with the Flight into Egypt). In the first, corn sprang up miraculously overnight so labourers could tell soldiers looking for the family that they had passed by before the corn had grown, and so mislead them into thinking this was long ago. Statues of pagan idols were said to have fallen as the Holy Family passed by. The Massacre of the Innocents is also shown, from which the Holy Family preserved the infant Jesus by their escape to Egypt. This panel and ‘The Visitation of the Virgin to Saint Elizabeth’, by the same workshop, are from the same altarpiece. On loan to the exhibition ‘Extravaganza! Paintings and Drawings from Antwerp 1505 – 1530’ at the Koninklijk Museum vor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp from October 2005 to January 2006, and the Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht from January to April 2006.
Oil on oak,
80 × 69.5 cm,
about 1515
London, National Gallery.

Identifier

AKG1557725

Museum

London, National Gallery

Source

The National Gallery, London

Credit line

The National Gallery, London / akg

Image date

1515

Time Period

16TH CENTURY