← Giulio Bonasone

The Rest on the Flight into Egypt (1531–76)

Original title: The Rest on the Flight into Egypt, Joseph at right, the Virgin holds the Christ Child in the centre, other figures to the left

Artist

Giulio Bonasone

Date

1531–76

Medium

Etching and engraving

Dimensions

sheet: 13 1/16 x 17 13/16 in. (33.1 x 45.2 cm)

Credit line

Gift of Georgiana W. Sargent, in memory of John Osborne Sargent, 1924

kurzbeschreibung

Giulio Bonasone, active in Bologna and Rome between 1531 and 1576, produced this print of the Rest on the Flight into Egypt, presenting the Holy Family during their journey. Mary sits at the center with the Christ Child on her lap; to the right stands Joseph, leaning on a staff. Angels and a richly articulated landscape expand the scene. The work is executed as an etching with additional engraving.

Description

Mary, with the Christ Child on her lap, occupies the middle ground, while Joseph stands to the right, staff in hand, watching. On the left appear two men: one carries a child on his back, the other bends low. A landscape with trees, a river, hills, and houses closes the space behind. Above the upper edge, two angels hover. The layout feels deliberately placed and bears clear marks of the Renaissance.

Context

Bonasone worked in the sixteenth century as an Italian engraver and etcher, in Bologna and Rome among other places. The motif of the Rest on the Flight into Egypt belonged to the widespread repertoire of devotional images in the Renaissance. This print was made in the late Renaissance, a period when printmaking was highly esteemed as an art. Who commissioned the work is not recorded.

Impact

Because etching and engraving combine, the lines emerge fine and detailed, shaping figures and landscape with great precision. Graded gray tones convey a quiet, collected mood that invites contemplation of the biblical event. The thoughtful arrangement draws the eye to the group of Mary and Child at the center.

Technique

Etching and engraving interlock, as can be seen in the fine lines and the graded shading. With this method, figures and landscape could be reproduced very exactly. The sheet measures approximately 33.1 by 45.2 centimeters.

AI-generated description text

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