Artwork
Flight into Egypt
Flight into Egypt is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Bartolomeo Carducci. It dates from 1600 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Bartolomeo Carducci’s *Flight into Egypt* is an oil on canvas executed around 1600. The work belongs to the early Baroque period in Italy and is part of the State Hermitage Museum’s collection. It portrays the biblical episode of the Holy Family’s escape from Bethlehem, rendered in a calm, narrative style typical of the artist’s late‑Renaissance to early‑Baroque transition.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows Joseph leading a donkey that bears Mary and the infant Jesus. Mary is seated, swaddled in white, while Joseph wears a brown robe and boots. The figures are set against a softly clouded sky and a landscape of trees, with three cherubic figures hovering above, suggesting divine protection during the family’s perilous journey.
Technique & Style
Carducci employs chiaroscuro to model the figures, allowing the family to emerge from a darker foreground into a lighter, atmospheric background. The handling of light creates a sense of depth and three‑dimensionality, while the muted palette of earth tones and blues contributes to the tranquil mood. The brushwork is smooth, reflecting the academic training of the period.
History & Provenance
Bartolomeo Carducci, also known by the Spanish form Carducho, was active in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, working in both Italy and Spain. The painting entered the State Hermitage Museum’s holdings in the 19th century, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s Baroque collection, illustrating the cross‑cultural artistic exchanges of the era.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Bartolomeo Carducci (1560 – 14 November 1608) was an Italian painter, better known as Carducho, the Spanish corruption of his Italian patronymic.
