Artwork
The Flight into Egypt
The Flight into Egypt is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Henry Ossawa Tanner. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
About this work
The Flight into Egypt is a painting by Henry Ossawa Tanner. It's a religious work.
The painting was created in Paris around 1899. It was displayed at the Carnegie Institute that year, along with another work called Judas. This was Tanner's first version of The Flight into Egypt.
To learn more about the artist behind this work, look up Henry Ossawa Tanner.
Overview
Created in Paris around 1899, Henry Ossawa Tanner’s oil painting The Flight into Egypt was exhibited at the Carnegie Institute that same year, alongside his work Judas. This early version marks the first of several treatments Tanner gave to the biblical episode, reflecting his engagement with religious subject matter.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas depicts the Holy Family’s nocturnal escape to Egypt, a narrative drawn from the Gospel of Matthew. By portraying the figures in ambiguous, twilight light, Tanner avoids specifying ethnicity, allowing viewers of diverse backgrounds to identify with the theme of a vulnerable family seeking refuge from persecution.
Technique & Style
Executed in a symbolist manner, the painting employs soft, diffused illumination and muted colors to evoke a spiritual atmosphere. Tanner’s handling of oil creates a sense of depth in the night sky, while the figures are rendered with limited detail, emphasizing mood over literal representation.
History & Provenance
After its debut at the Carnegie Institute, the work entered the public eye as part of Tanner’s early American exhibitions. Though specific ownership records are sparse, the painting’s early display helped establish Tanner’s reputation as a painter of religious subjects in the United States.
Context
Tanner’s upbringing in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, with a father who served as a bishop, shaped his commitment to religious themes. The artist’s choice to depict the Flight into Egypt resonated with his broader concern for oppressed peoples, aligning biblical exile with contemporary struggles faced by African Americans.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Henry Ossawa Tanner (June 21, 1859 – May 25, 1937) was an American artist who spent much of his career in France.
