The Rest on the Flight into Egypt 1593

This is Gerrit Pietersz’s etching, 'The Rest on the Flight into Egypt,' made around 1597. It depicts Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus pausing during their escape to Egypt, a story resonant with themes of refuge and survival. Pietersz situates the Holy Family within the natural world, a place of respite but also a reminder of their vulnerability as migrants. Mary is shown tending to her child, a universal image of maternal care, yet layered with the specific anxieties of a mother fleeing persecution. Joseph, often marginalized in depictions of the Holy Family, here appears watchful, embodying the protective role he undertook. Consider how the image resonates with contemporary experiences of displacement, and the intersectional layers of religion, gender, and class that shape refugee experiences. The work invites us to reflect on the intimate and personal dimensions of larger historical events.