Artwork
Rest on the Flight to Egypt
Rest on the Flight to Egypt is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Godfried Schalcken. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The iconography centers on the figures of Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus, representing a temporary sanctuary amidst their exile.
Godfried Schalcken's 1670 oil painting depicts the Rest on the Flight into Egypt, a specific episode from the New Testament apocrypha where the Holy Family pauses during their journey. As a work of religious art, the composition focuses on this moment of respite, serving as the primary subject matter. The iconography centers on the figures of Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus, representing a temporary sanctuary amidst their exile.
While the specific symbolic elements within the scene are not detailed in the available records, the work's classification as religious art underscores its function as a devotional image intended to evoke contemplation of the Holy Family's trials and divine protection.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1670, this religious work by Godfried Schalcken is an oil painting on canvas. The composition measures 37.2 cm in height and 31 cm in width. As a depiction of the Rest on the Flight into Egypt, the piece utilizes oil paint as its primary medium to render the sacred subject matter on a flexible fabric support.
History & Provenance
Rest on the Flight to Egypt is an oil painting by Godfried Schalcken created in 1670. The work depicts the Holy Family pausing during their flight into Egypt, a biblical subject rendered with the artist’s characteristic chiaroscuro. Schalcken painted the piece for Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz, Elector Palatine, who commissioned it as part of his expanding collection of religious works.
After the Elector’s death, the painting entered the Bavarian State Painting Collections and has remained in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich since the early 18th century, where it is catalogued as part of the Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz collection.
Rest on the Flight to Egypt is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is accessioned within the Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz collection at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The painting was created in 1670 by Godfried Schalcken using oil on canvas, measuring 37.2 cm in height and 31 cm in width. It has been exhibited as part of the Alte Pinakothek's display of religious art from the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
The work is cataloged under the Bavarian State Painting Collections' inventory and is part of their permanent exhibition of 17th-century religious paintings.
Overview
Rest on the Flight to Egypt, painted in 1670 by Godfried Schalcken, is an oil painting depicting a biblical scene from the Holy Family’s journey to Egypt. It exemplifies the Flemish Baroque style, characterized by meticulous technique and subtle lighting.
Artist & collection
Artist
Godfried Schalcken (8 October 1643 – 16 November 1706) was a Dutch artist who specialized in genre paintings and portraits.
