Flight into Egypt
n.d.
Medium
Black chalk, heightened with touches of white chalk, on blue gray laid paper, laid down on tan laid card
Dimensions
23.7 × 29.4 cm (9 3/8 × 11 5/8 in.)
Classification
chalk
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81982
Art Historical Context
François Boucher's *Flight into Egypt* captures a tender moment from the biblical narrative in the Gospel of Matthew, where the Holy Family—Mary cradling the infant Jesus, with Joseph guiding their donkey—flees Herod's massacre of the innocents. As a leading figure of the French Rococo in the 18th century, Boucher infused religious subjects with his signature elegance and grace, softening the drama into a lyrical, intimate procession amid lush, imagined landscapes. This undated drawing exemplifies his preparatory sketches, which often served as studies for larger paintings or tapestries commis...
About the Artist
François Boucher · 1703–1770
François Boucher (1703–1770) stands as the quintessential master of French Rococo painting and the most celebrated decorative artist of the 18th century. Born in Paris to a lace designer, Boucher created a visual language that perfectly embodied the refined taste, sensuality, and elegance of Louis XV's court. His prolific output—encompassing paintings, tapestry designs, theatrical sets, and decora...