Who painted Rest on the Flight into Egypt?

Rest on the Flight into Egypt was painted by Charles Poerson in 1640-01-01.

Where can I see Rest on the Flight into Egypt?

Rest on the Flight into Egypt is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Rest on the Flight into Egypt?

Rest on the Flight into Egypt is associated with French Classical Baroque.

Can I buy a print of Rest on the Flight into Egypt?

Museum-quality prints of Rest on the Flight into Egypt are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Rest on the Flight into Egypt

Charles Poerson , 1640

Rest on the Flight into Egypt is an unspecified painting by the French Classical Baroque artist Charles Poerson. It dates from 1640 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The main subject is named in the work's title and confirmed as the central theme of Charles Poerson's composition.

The painting depicts the Rest on the Flight into Egypt, a religious subject drawn from the apocryphal account of the Holy Family's refuge during their escape from Herod. The main subject is named in the work's title and confirmed as the central theme of Charles Poerson's composition. As a religious genre work produced in France in 1640, it belongs to a long tradition of devotional imagery centered on the quiet, contemplative moment when the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and the Christ Child pause in their journey.

The theme of rest and refuge during the flight offered artists an opportunity to evoke tenderness, divine protection, and the humanity of the Holy Family, themes that resonated strongly in seventeenth-century French religious painting. By focusing on this narrative episode rather than the flight itself, Poerson's image invites meditation on safety, care, and the sacred nature of ordinary moments during a journey undertaken to preserve the infant Christ.

Technique & Style

Rest on the Flight into Egypt by Charles Poerson is a painting on a small-scale support, measuring 35.5 cm in height by 45.9 cm in width. Produced in France in 1640, the work is classified as a religious painting and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The modest dimensions are consistent with a cabinet-format picture, a format frequently used in seventeenth-century French religious imagery intended for intimate devotional viewing.

The sources do not specify the medium (oil or otherwise), the support (panel or canvas), pigment, or handling, nor do they describe condition or stylistic qualities such as brushwork, palette, or composition. As a result, no further claims about technique or style can be grounded.

Overview

Charles Poerson's 1640 painting, Rest on the Flight into Egypt, depicts a biblical narrative. This work, a notable example of French Classical Baroque, is characterized by its compositional balance and controlled emotionality. The Cleveland Museum of Art holds this piece in its collection.