Rest on the Flight into Egypt (David, Antwerp)
| Rest on the Flight into Egypt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Gerard David  |
| Year | c.1515 |
| Medium | oil paint, panel |
| Movement | Early Netherlandish painting |
| Dimensions | 81 cm (32 in) × 58 cm (23 in) |
| Location | Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp |
| Accession No. | 47 |
| Identifiers | RKDimages ID: 45632 |
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt is an oil painting of around 1515 by the Flemish painter Gerard David now in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.[1] It can be compared with other works on the same theme by the same painter in Madrid, Washington and New York and a Virgin and Child in Rotterdam.
The Flight into Egypt derives from the Gospel of Matthew (II.13-18), though it does not mention a rest, which derives from apocryphal accounts. It was a popular theme for painters in many periods. David painted it on several occasions using different compositions,[2] possibly not as the result of commissions but simply painted to put on the open market. Many of them are near-identical but for a few small details. However, in all of them David focuses attention on the seated Virgin Mary breastfeeding the Christ Child, enthroned in front of a deep forest landscape background. In the far background there is usually a scene related to either the rest or to the journey to Egypt.
The Antwerp version replaces the Prado version's background scene of the Flight into Egypt with a scene of Joseph and the donkey resting. It is held by some to be a copy by Adrian Isenbrandt.[3]
References
- ^ Mª Ángeles Piquero López. "El Descanso… del Museo del Prado" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-06-14.
- ^ "David, Rest on the Flight into Egypt". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
- ^ "David, Rest on the Flight into Egypt". Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp. Retrieved 2017-06-14.