Artwork
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt is an ink print by the Baroque artist Giovanni Francesco Grimaldi. It dates from 1643 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Giovanni Francesco Grimaldi’s 1643 etching titled The Rest on the Flight into Egypt depicts a quiet moment during the biblical journey of the Holy Family. Rendered as a single‑plate print, the work measures the intimate pause of the travelers beneath a solitary tree, set against a landscape that includes a river, a distant ship and rolling hills.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on three figures: a seated woman cradling an infant, likely the Virgin Mary with the Christ child, and a companion leaning toward them. Their repose suggests a brief respite from the arduous flight, emphasizing themes of protection, divine guidance and the human need for shelter amidst exile.
Technique & Style
Grimaldi employed the etching process, incising lines into a copper plate with acid to achieve fine detail and tonal variation. The print is characterized by crisp linear work and deep chiaroscuro, using dense cross‑hatching to model the foliage, water, and distant architecture, creating a stark contrast between illuminated figures and shadowed background.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑seventeenth century, the print reflects the period’s interest in religious narrative prints for devotional and didactic purposes. While specific ownership records are sparse, the work is catalogued among Grimaldi’s surviving prints and appears in several European collections of Baroque graphic art.
Artist & collection
