Artwork
The Flight out of Egypt
The Flight out of Egypt is an oil painting by the British Romanticist artist Richard Dadd. It dates from 1849 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1849, *The Flight out of Egypt* is an oil painting by the Victorian artist Richard Dadd. Executed on canvas, the work depicts a bustling desert tableau populated by figures in vivid garments, animals on foot and saddle, and a distant landscape of palms. The central figure, clad in blue and gold, raises a large object, anchoring the composition’s sense of movement and narrative.
Subject & Meaning
The scene illustrates the biblical episode of the Holy Family’s escape from Egypt, though Dadd expands the episode into a crowded, almost theatrical procession. The multitude of travelers, animals, and the dramatic sky suggest both urgency and divine protection, while the raised object may allude to a sacred relic or the infant’s cradle, underscoring the work’s religious intent.
Technique & Style
Dadd’s characteristic precision appears in the intricate rendering of textiles, animal fur, and foliage, achieved through fine brushwork and layered glazing.
Dadd’s characteristic precision appears in the intricate rendering of textiles, animal fur, and foliage, achieved through fine brushwork and layered glazing. The palette combines saturated reds, blues, and golds with earthy desert tones, creating visual contrast. The composition’s dynamic diagonals and crowded foreground reflect Romantic sensibilities, while the meticulous detail aligns with Dadd’s reputation for elaborate, narrative-driven painting.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the British art market and was eventually acquired by Tate Britain, where it remains in the museum’s collection. Its presence in the national institution highlights the work’s significance within 19th‑century British religious art and Dadd’s oeuvre.
Context
Produced during the height of British Romanticism, the painting merges religious subject matter with the era’s fascination for exotic locales and dramatic storytelling. Dadd, known for his supernatural and genre scenes, applied his exacting style to a biblical narrative, reflecting contemporary interests in combining spiritual themes with vivid, almost theatrical visual spectacle.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Richard Dadd (1 August 1817 – 7 January 1886) was an English painter of the Victorian era, noted for his depictions of fairies and other supernatural subjects, Orientalist scenes, and enigmatic genre scenes, rendered with obsessively…
Le lendemain d'une victoire à l'Alhambra
The Slave Market, Constantinople
Africa
The Stoning of Saint Stephen
Halt of Caravans at the Wells of Saba (Beersheba) in the Desert South of Hebron
Allegory of the Battle of Mezőkeresztes
Crucifixion
Închinarea magilor
The sigh of the Moor
A Sheikh and his son entering Cairo on their return from a pilgrimage to Mecca
Joseph’s Triumph in Egypt
Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem