Rust op de vlucht naar Egypte 1567 - 1602

Curator: This print, currently held here at the Rijksmuseum, is titled "Rest on the Flight to Egypt." While attributed to an anonymous artist working sometime between 1567 and 1602, the work displays the refined engraving style characteristic of the Northern Renaissance. Editor: It's incredibly detailed. I’m immediately struck by the texture of the cloth and the contrast. It feels serene, despite the urgency of the subject. Almost… idyllic? Curator: The scene depicts the Holy Family during their flight into Egypt, an episode recounted in the Gospel of Matthew. The historical context places the work within a period marked by religious upheaval. This flight becomes not only a physical journey, but also represents their transition from being persecuted in Judea and toward what they hope to be safety in a foreign country. How might this image challenge or reinforce dominant narratives of its time? Editor: Well, considering they are the 'lucky ones' that have not yet fallen at the mercy of Herod’s infanticide order, there’s a definite visual emphasis here of family refuge that transcends borders. The tenderness in Mary’s posture as she cradles the child...it's poignant. It makes you consider the plight of any refugee family searching for safety. Curator: Indeed, the theme of forced migration and the search for refuge remains highly relevant today, and invites conversations about contemporary geopolitical events. But there’s also the social and economic precarity often linked to this: The worn expressions of Mary and Joseph hint toward the harsh realities faced by the family, who must have been exhausted. It challenges idealized notions of the Holy Family. Editor: Exactly! There is this quiet moment of them escaping persecution, but where do they belong? As you consider the landscape framing them, that quiet refuge might also just be a place they are simply passing through on the road, but will soon move on. I get this slightly melancholy mood here... almost one of exhaustion, with this deep wish for a final destination, to be somewhere where they feel they fully belong. Curator: What powerful insights! Considering the social, religious and political frameworks in play, it prompts a vital discussion on the themes represented in it, its message, its power to inform… Editor: Absolutely! And with the beauty, technique and its raw honest telling of such an intimate moment— makes this anonymous artist and their contribution that much more relevant. It also reminds us of shared experience of needing a sanctuary throughout human history.