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The Flight to Egypt

French 16th Century

1550

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

The Flight to Egypt is a 1550 ink by French 16th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: French 16th Century
When & what style?: 1550 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This black-and-white woodcut shows a woman and child walking away from a town with towers and spires. A man follows behind them, carrying a bundle. The background has trees, hills, and a small river. The figures are simple but clear, with the woman’s halo marking her as holy. The scene is about a family fleeing to safety, a common story in Renaissance art. The woodcut style means it was likely printed in batches, not painted by hand. Look up woodcut to see how artists carved images into wood blocks to make prints.