Flight into Egypt c. 18th century

Curator: Johann Esaias Nilson created this print, "Flight into Egypt." It's held at the Harvard Art Museums and lacks a specific creation date. What's your initial take? Editor: It feels a little unsettling, the way the ruined architecture dwarfs the figures. It's like the landscape itself is imposing a narrative. Curator: The scene carries a deep resonance within Christian iconography. The flight to Egypt is a powerful symbol of refuge, exile, and the search for safety amidst persecution. Editor: And yet, the etching itself, the labor of making this— the tooling, the plate—emphasizes the material effort to construct this ideal, almost obscuring the divine. Curator: Indeed. The bridge they cross symbolizes a transition, both physical and spiritual, towards an uncertain future, but also echoes the continuity of faith. Editor: I see that, but I can't ignore how this was made. The act of production, of reproducing this image, is a form of consumption that detaches us from the lived experience of faith. Curator: Perhaps both are intertwined. The reproduction allows the story to endure, even as the context of devotion shifts. Editor: A point well taken, reflecting on how the image and its materiality both preserve and transform belief.