Artwork
Landscape with the Flight into Egypt
Landscape with the Flight into Egypt is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Gillis Mostaert. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Landscape with the Flight into Egypt is an oil painting created by Flemish Renaissance artist Gillis Mostaert the Elder around 1550. The work exemplifies the Northern Renaissance style, featuring a dynamic riverside scene.
Subject & Meaning
While the title references the biblical Flight into Egypt, the painting's focus is on depicting everyday life in a bustling riverside setting. Figures engage in various activities along the bank, bridge, and boats, with the sacred subject subtly integrated into the background.
Technique & Style
Mostaert employed chiaroscuro to achieve a three-dimensional effect, leveraging contrast between light and dark to delineate figures within the landscape. Bare trees, distant buildings, and a town in the background add depth.
History & Provenance
Produced in Mostaert's large Antwerp workshop, which catered to prominent patrons, the painting is now part of the State Hermitage Museum's collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Gillis Mostaert the Elder (27 or 28 November 1528 – 28 December 1598) was a Flemish Renaissance painter and draughtsman active in Antwerp in the second half of the 16th century.
