The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
1666
Medium
Pen, brown ink, brush and gray-brown wash, heightened with white over traces of black chalk, faintly squared in black chalk
Dimensions
16 7/16 x 10 7/16 in. (41.7 x 26.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1960
Accession Number
60.66.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the tranquil scene of *The Rest on the Flight into Egypt* (1666), Swiss-born artist Adrien Dassier captures a pivotal moment from the biblical narrative: the Holy Family pausing during their perilous escape from King Herod's massacre of the innocents. Created during the height of the Baroque era, this drawing reflects the period's emphasis on emotional depth and dramatic light, with the Madonna and Child at its tender heart, evoking maternal protection amid uncertainty—a theme resonant in 17th-century Christian devotion. Dassier's masterful technique shines through in pen and brown ink, en...