The Holy Family Crossing the Lake in the Boat, plate seventeen from The Flight into Egypt 1753

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo etched "The Holy Family Crossing the Lake in the Boat" to illustrate the Flight into Egypt. Here, we see the Holy Family escaping to Egypt, guided by an angel, crossing a lake in a humble boat. The journey by water immediately calls to mind other mythic voyages. Think of the ancient Egyptians who saw the sun god Ra sailing across the heavens in a boat each day, battling darkness. This motif echoes in the story of Noah’s Ark, a vessel of salvation amidst chaos. The boat becomes a symbol of hope and deliverance. The serene Madonna and Child resonate with the archetypal image of maternal care and divine protection. This powerful symbol is etched into our collective memory, a constant reminder of our deep-seated needs for safety and redemption. The cyclical nature of these symbols—voyages, mothers, divine children—reveals how archetypes persist, resurfacing in our narratives to address our deepest emotions.