Life of the Virgin: The Flight into Egypt
1472
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1472
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Life of the Virgin: The Flight into Egypt is a 1472 by Martin Schongauer, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This engraving shows a woman holding a small child while riding sideways on a donkey. Behind them, a man walks, carrying a staff. Birds fly around a tree heavy with fruit, and a cow grazes nearby. The scene is packed with tiny details—leaves, rocks, and distant buildings—all drawn with sharp lines. The artist packed a lot into this small space, mixing everyday animals with a story about a family on the move. The lines are so precise they almost look carved instead of drawn. Next, look up Martin Schongauer to see how he used this same style in other works.
