Flight into Egypt
Original title: Flight into Egypt ?
kurzbeschreibung
This sheet, titled The Flight into Egypt, is by Andrea Schiavone, also known as Andrea Meldola, and is dated to the sixteenth century. It brings together eight etchings on a single page, taking biblical and mythological figures as their subject.
Description
A larger etching claims most of the space across the top: a landscape of trees and bushes, where one figure sits on a rock and a second, on horseback, stands looking toward them. Below, seven smaller etchings are lined up in a row, each showing a single figure in a different pose and garment, some with weapons or other attributes. Everything stays within shades of grey, the lines drawn with varying force and richness of detail.
Context
Andrea Schiavone, also known under the name Andrea Meldola, worked as a Mannerist painter and printmaker, chiefly in Venice. This sheet falls within his working years and is placed in the mid-sixteenth century, though no exact date has come down to us. Printmaking was enjoying a peak in Italy at the time, and Schiavone was valued for his inventive etchings on biblical and mythological subjects.
Impact
The quiet, almost contemplative tone draws the eye at once to the seated figure in the upper part, while the gaze then travels across the landscape to the rider. Finely graded greys and carefully worked garments give the image a still presence. The seven smaller scenes beneath divide the sheet into an even rhythm that invites the viewer to linger.
Technique
For an etching, lines are bitten into a metal plate with acid before the sheet is printed on paper. The range of grey values comes from the strength and density of the bitten lines. The paper shows slight signs of age, pointing to the historical origin of the print.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)