Flight into Egypt 1613

Editor: This is Hendrick Goudt's "Flight into Egypt," and the darkness really emphasizes the vulnerability of the figures. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's a nocturne, a night scene, which was a popular subject then. But Goudt’s rendering… almost feels like a dream. The real subject might be how light—both physical and spiritual—pierces through the darkness. The figures seem protected by it. What do you think? Editor: That’s a lovely interpretation, this piercing light in the darkness, both as protection but also perhaps revealing this holy family in danger. Curator: Exactly! It's a beautiful, complicated tension.