THIS OBJECT WAS SOLD
French Or Italian School - The Flight Into Egypt – Oil On Canvas – Late 18th Century
The Flight into Egypt
Oil on canvas, unsigned
Late 18th century
28 × 22 cm (44.5 × 39 cm with frame)
Very good condition
This small antique painting is, above all, a landscape. Almost the entire surface is taken up by a vast, rolling countryside bathed in the setting sun. The golden light of the sun, low on the horizon, colors the sky with shades of pink and orange and is reflected on the hills, the trees, and a small stream cascading down in the foreground. Tall trees with dense foliage frame the scene on the right, while bluish mountains close off the horizon.
It is only upon closer inspection that the religious subject becomes apparent. In the far lower right, tiny figures make their way along a path: the Virgin Mary, dressed in blue, sits on a donkey and holds the Baby Jesus; Joseph walks beside them. Above the group, angels accompany them and shelter them under a veil. The scene depicts the Flight into Egypt, the moment when the Holy Family leaves Judea to escape Herod.
What makes this painting so appealing is precisely this reversal: the painter has relegated the sacred scene to the margins and given center stage to nature and light. The religious subject almost becomes a pretext for the landscape. As such, the work can appeal to a wide audience—lovers of old master paintings and landscapes as much as collectors of religious subjects.
Subject and Genre
This approach to treating a biblical episode as a grand landscape in which the figures are minuscule belongs to a long tradition—that of the classical and “Italianate” landscape—inherited from the 17th and 18th centuries. The motif of angels unfurling a veil over the Holy Family is a poetic variation on the theme, emphasizing divine protection during the journey. The atmosphere of the setting sun and the foliage rendered with soft brushstrokes link the work to this late 18th-century landscape tradition.
Condition and Frame
Oil on canvas on its original stretcher (see photo of the back). The work exhibits the expected appearance of an antique painting: a fine network of craquelure and a varnish that has turned slightly amber with age, neither of which impairs the clarity of the scene. A few minor signs of wear on the surface.
The painting is set in a beautiful modern frame, made of carved and gilded wood, with an openwork design of scrolls and foliage, in the style of Italian frames. Very good condition.
The artwork is on view at the gallery (07240)
Shipping: Please contact us for shipping costs within France and internationally.
Oil on canvas, unsigned
Late 18th century
28 × 22 cm (44.5 × 39 cm with frame)
Very good condition
This small antique painting is, above all, a landscape. Almost the entire surface is taken up by a vast, rolling countryside bathed in the setting sun. The golden light of the sun, low on the horizon, colors the sky with shades of pink and orange and is reflected on the hills, the trees, and a small stream cascading down in the foreground. Tall trees with dense foliage frame the scene on the right, while bluish mountains close off the horizon.
It is only upon closer inspection that the religious subject becomes apparent. In the far lower right, tiny figures make their way along a path: the Virgin Mary, dressed in blue, sits on a donkey and holds the Baby Jesus; Joseph walks beside them. Above the group, angels accompany them and shelter them under a veil. The scene depicts the Flight into Egypt, the moment when the Holy Family leaves Judea to escape Herod.
What makes this painting so appealing is precisely this reversal: the painter has relegated the sacred scene to the margins and given center stage to nature and light. The religious subject almost becomes a pretext for the landscape. As such, the work can appeal to a wide audience—lovers of old master paintings and landscapes as much as collectors of religious subjects.
Subject and Genre
This approach to treating a biblical episode as a grand landscape in which the figures are minuscule belongs to a long tradition—that of the classical and “Italianate” landscape—inherited from the 17th and 18th centuries. The motif of angels unfurling a veil over the Holy Family is a poetic variation on the theme, emphasizing divine protection during the journey. The atmosphere of the setting sun and the foliage rendered with soft brushstrokes link the work to this late 18th-century landscape tradition.
Condition and Frame
Oil on canvas on its original stretcher (see photo of the back). The work exhibits the expected appearance of an antique painting: a fine network of craquelure and a varnish that has turned slightly amber with age, neither of which impairs the clarity of the scene. A few minor signs of wear on the surface.
The painting is set in a beautiful modern frame, made of carved and gilded wood, with an openwork design of scrolls and foliage, in the style of Italian frames. Very good condition.
The artwork is on view at the gallery (07240)
Shipping: Please contact us for shipping costs within France and internationally.
Explore similar pieces and discover your ideal find:
religious paintings
