The Flight into Egypt 1657

Nicolas Poussin painted “The Flight into Egypt” likely in the 1650s, during the height of the French Baroque. At first glance, it depicts a scene from the New Testament, where Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus flee to Egypt to escape King Herod's infanticide. But Poussin, deeply influenced by classical antiquity, frames this religious narrative within a classical landscape, complete with Roman ruins. This fusion of Christian narrative and classical aesthetic was typical of the artistic and intellectual climate of 17th-century France. Poussin was not merely illustrating a biblical story; he was also making a statement about the continuity between classical civilization and Christianity, a theme that resonated with the intellectual elites of his time, and with the institutional framework of the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. To understand Poussin's choices better, we might delve into texts from art theory, theology and political history. By understanding the cultural and institutional context we can appreciate the complex layers of meaning embedded within the artwork.