The Flight into Egypt, from The Life of the Virgin, from the Latin Edition
Original title: The Flight into Egypt, from The Life of the Virgin, from the Latin Edition
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer's woodcut 'The Flight into Egypt' belongs to his series 'The Life of the Virgin' and is dated 1511. It captures the biblical episode in which the Holy Family escapes to Egypt, with riders in the foreground and praying figures behind.
Description
Two figures on donkeys dominate the front: one wears a hat and apron, the other carries a backpack. Both look toward the kneeling figures behind them, who remain in prayer. Palms and other plants indicate the Egyptian setting, while angels hover above. Light falls evenly, and the layout is symmetrical—riders in front, worshippers in back.
Context
In 1511 this woodcut was made for the Latin edition of the Life of the Virgin, which Dürer created between 1504 and 1511. By then he was a respected artist in Nuremberg and used woodcut to bring biblical stories to a wide audience. The Latin edition targeted educated buyers and emphasized the series' didactic purpose.
Impact
The even distribution of light and clear lines give the print a calm, devotional feel. The symmetrical arrangement draws the eye to the central action and underscores the scene's spiritual meaning.
Technique
Fine lines and hatching reveal Dürer's mastery of a technique that allows precise details and a balanced composition. The even distribution of light, with angels floating above and figures seated on donkeys below, is achieved through the deliberate interplay of cut lines that build tone, light, and shade across the sheet.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)