Who painted The Flight into Egypt?

The Flight into Egypt was painted by Albrecht Dürer in 1504.

Where can I see The Flight into Egypt?

The Flight into Egypt is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Flight into Egypt?

The Flight into Egypt is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of The Flight into Egypt?

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

Artwork

The Flight into Egypt

Albrecht Dürer , 1504

The Flight into Egypt is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1504 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Dürer integrates the figures into a richly detailed natural setting filled with specific flora and fauna, characteristic of his Northern Renaissance style.

Albrecht Dürer's woodcut The Flight into Egypt, created in 1504, depicts the biblical narrative of the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt to escape King Herod's massacre of the innocents. The composition features the Virgin Mary seated on a donkey, holding the Christ Child, while Joseph leads the animal through a dense, meticulously rendered landscape. Dürer integrates the figures into a richly detailed natural setting filled with specific flora and fauna, characteristic of his Northern Renaissance style.

This work is part of the artist's series of woodcuts illustrating the Life of the Virgin, produced during a period when he was refining his printmaking techniques to achieve unprecedented tonal range and linear precision. The image balances the solemnity of the religious subject with an intimate observation of the natural world, using the surrounding environment to enhance the narrative depth. Executed with fine hatching and cross-hatching, the print demonstrates Dürer's mastery of the medium, transforming a small-scale graphic work into a complex visual statement that reflects both theological significance and humanist interest in the natural order.

Subject & Meaning

The image captures the Holy Family on the move, accompanied by a donkey that traditionally symbolizes humility and service. Surrounding flora and other natural elements are rendered with careful attention, each likely serving as an emblematic reference to themes of protection, divine providence, and the journey’s spiritual significance.

Technique & Style

Created through the woodcut process, Dürer incised the design onto a wooden block, producing a high-contrast image when inked and pressed onto paper. The print demonstrates his mastery of line work, employing fine hatching and cross-hatching to convey texture, depth, and intricate detail despite the medium’s inherent limitations.

History & Provenance

The work emerged during Dürer’s early mature period, a time when he was exploring religious subjects in print form. While the original block has not survived, several impressions are held in European collections, attesting to the print’s circulation among patrons and its role in disseminating devotional imagery in the early sixteenth century.