A Rest During the Flight to Egypt 1515

"A Rest During the Flight to Egypt" was painted by Gerard David, a Netherlandish artist, sometime before his death in 1523. The painting depicts a scene of maternal intimacy and refuge, amidst the Holy Family’s biblical escape from persecution. Mary, the mother of Jesus, pauses to breastfeed her child. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the role of women, particularly mothers, was idealized yet carefully circumscribed by social and religious norms. Motherhood was celebrated as a sacred duty, yet women's autonomy was often limited. David’s image can be viewed as both reinforcing the iconic status of Mary, while also quietly acknowledging the corporeal realities of motherhood. The image of the nursing mother has a profoundly humanizing effect. It collapses the distance between the divine and the everyday, offering a tender, accessible vision of holiness.