Rest on the Flight into Egypt

Executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, this work measures 50.8 by 43.2 centimeters. Created by Gerard David between approximately 1512 and 1515, the painting exemplifies Early Netherlandish style through its detailed rendering of a deep forest landscape. The composition focuses centrally on the Virgin Mary seated and breastfeeding the Christ Child, a motif David repeated across several versions with minor variations.

In this specific iteration, an apple branch replaces the basket found in comparable examples located in Madrid and Washington. The background typically includes a secondary scene depicting elements of the journey to Egypt. The work was likely produced for the open market rather than a specific commission, resulting in near-identical compositions across the artist's oeuvre that differ only in small stylistic details.

Created by the Flemish painter Gerard David, this oil painting on panel dates to approximately 1513, with some scholarship narrowing the inception to between 1512 and 1515. Unlike many religious works of the period, evidence suggests David produced this composition not in response to a specific commission, but rather for the open market. This hypothesis is supported by the existence of several near-identical versions of the theme located in Madrid, Washington, Antwerp, and Rotterdam, which vary only in minor details such as the inclusion of an apple branch instead of a basket.

The work eventually entered the collection of Jules Bache before being acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it remains housed.

Gerard David's oil painting, Rest on the Flight into Egypt, is held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. While specific accession numbers are not provided in the available records, the work is identified as part of the museum's holdings and was previously owned by Jules Bache. Sources date the creation of the painting to the period between 1512 and 1515, with some records specifying 1513.

The provided texts confirm the artwork's location and its association with the Bache collection but do not list specific inventory numbers or detail any exhibition history for this particular piece. The work is consistently described as an Early Netherlandish religious painting depicting the Virgin Mary breastfeeding the Christ Child.

Gerard David's Rest on the Flight into Egypt, dated circa 1512–1515, stands as a significant example of Early Netherlandish painting within the artist's broader oeuvre. The work exemplifies David's commercial practice, as he produced multiple near-identical compositions of this subject for the open market rather than specific commissions. While the biblical narrative in Matthew omits the resting period, David drew upon apocryphal accounts to depict the Nursing Madonna, a motif he repeated in versions now located in Madrid, Washington, Lisbon, Antwerp, and Rotterdam.

Art historical analysis notes that the New York iteration distinguishes itself from these counterparts primarily through the inclusion of an apple branch instead of a basket. Despite these minor variations, the painting consistently emphasizes the Virgin breastfeeding the Christ Child against a deep forest landscape, reflecting the theme's enduring popularity across various periods and the artist's systematic approach to religious iconography.

The work Rest on the Flight into Egypt by Gerard David, painted circa 1513, is recognized as a seminal example of Early Netherlandish religious art and helped shape the visual language of the Holy Family in exile. Its composition, featuring the Virgin seated and nursing the Christ Child within a dense forest backdrop, became a model that later artists referenced when depicting the same biblical episode. The painting’s inclusion in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and its provenance through notable collectors such as Jules Bache have contributed to its scholarly reputation and frequent citation in studies of the motif.

Moreover, the motif’s popularity across periods, noted in contemporary accounts, reflects the work’s lasting influence on subsequent renditions of the Rest on the Flight into Egypt.

Gerard David's Rest on the Flight into Egypt, an oil painting from approximately 1515, is housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This work portrays a tranquil moment from the biblical narrative, capturing the Holy Family in a state of repose during their journey. The artist's approach emphasizes a sense of stillness and serenity, distinguishing it through its quiet contemplative mood.