Rest on the Flight into Egypt (mid-18th–late 18th century)
Original title: Rest on the Flight into Egypt
kurzbeschreibung
Anton Raphael Mengs drew this sheet in red chalk and graphite sometime between the middle and the end of the 18th century. It shows the Madonna with the Christ Child, several other figures and a donkey. The drawing was most likely a preparatory study for a larger work.
Description
A woman in a head covering and long-sleeved robe sits in the foreground, holding a child on her lap and looking at him with affection. The child wears a simple dress. Behind her, further figures and a donkey complete the group. A grid runs across the drawing, marking it as a working model for transfer. The red chalk lends the sheet a warm tone; light falls evenly, casting almost no shadow.
Context
Mengs, a leading figure of Neoclassicism, probably made this drawing in connection with a larger painting or fresco. The grid suggests the composition was meant to be transferred. The Rest on the Flight was a popular subject in 18th-century Christian art. Nothing is known about who commissioned the work.
Impact
The sheet feels quiet and intimate, helped by the mother's tender gesture. The warm red chalk creates a soft, almost affectionate mood that draws the viewer in directly.
Technique
Mengs worked in red chalk and graphite on paper; the chalk drawing is prized for its warm colour. The grid was laid down in graphite to fix the proportions for later transfer.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)