The Rest on the Flight into Egypt (recto); Sketch of a Sphinx [?] (verso)
1880
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
![The Rest on the Flight into Egypt (recto); Sketch of a Sphinx [?] (verso)](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/25f9a663b49091e6/full.webp)
1880
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see Mary and baby Jesus curled up inside the giant stone paws of a sphinx, while Joseph naps by a dying fire. Most artists show the Holy Family fleeing danger, but Merson paints them safe inside ancient Egyptian ruins. The sphinx feels like a guardian, not a monster. The drawing is a mirror image of his famous painting—maybe a quick test before he flipped the scene. To see how he turned this sketch into glowing oil paint, look up the subject: france, 19th century.
![Sketch of a Sphinx [?] (verso)](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/01aae5545d384a57/thumb.webp)
