← Frans Huberti

The Return from Egypt, the Christ child walking between the Virgin and Saint Joseph

Original title: The Return from Egypt, the Christ child walking between the Virgin and Saint Joseph

Artist

Frans Huberti

Date

ca. 1650–87

Medium

Engraving

Dimensions

Plate: 10 13/16 × 7 13/16 in. (27.5 × 19.8 cm) Sheet (Trimmed): 18 5/16 × 13 7/8 in. (46.5 × 35.2 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951

kurzbeschreibung

Frans Huberti made this etching between about 1650 and 1687. It presents the biblical story of the Holy Family's return from Egypt. Mary, the Christ Child, and Joseph stand at the center, surrounded by angels. Columns and symbols frame the composition.

Description

In the foreground, the Christ Child walks in the middle, Mary holds his arm, and Joseph guides a donkey. Two angels accompany the group. Above, more angels and a palm tree appear. Below, angels gather around an additional figure. A border with two columns and heavily figured signs encloses the image.

Context

Frans Huberti, a seventeenth-century Flemish engraver, became known for his religious prints. The Return from Egypt is a common motif in Christian iconography and concludes the Holy Family's flight to Bethlehem. At the time, religious printmaking circulated widely in Flanders and served both private devotion and collecting.

Impact

The symmetrical arrangement of the figures and the decorative border give the sheet a balanced, solemn note. Folded garments and the calm portrayal of the Holy Family create a dignified, prayerful mood.

Technique

As an etching, the work belongs to intaglio processes: the drawing is scratched into a wax layer on a copper plate and then etched. The black-and-white execution relies on fine lines and hatching to render garment folds and details.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)