The Flight into Egypt 

Giuseppe Maria Crespi painted “The Flight into Egypt,” an oil on canvas, during a period when artists often grappled with representing biblical narratives in relatable, human terms. Crespi, working in the 17th and 18th centuries, lived in a society steeped in religious tradition, yet he approached these stories with a nuanced understanding of human emotion and social dynamics. In this particular artwork, the scene depicts Mary and the infant Jesus fleeing to Egypt to escape King Herod's infanticide. What strikes me is Crespi's interpretation of the figures accompanying Mary and Jesus. The figures are rendered with a sense of everyday humanity, their expressions a mix of concern and determination. Crespi challenges traditional depictions of biblical figures, instead focusing on a more realistic, and perhaps radical, representation of the holy family as refugees. The artwork embodies the emotional toll of displacement and the universal desire for safety and security, issues that resonate across centuries. By grounding the divine in the human experience, Crespi invites us to contemplate the intersections of faith, family, and the search for refuge.