The Virgin of Sorrows: The Flight into Egypt; one of nine surrounding compartments from the Virgin of Sorrows, now separated

Art Historical Context

This small yet intricate engraving by Giorgio Ghisi captures a tender moment from the biblical Flight into Egypt, showing the Madonna and Child accompanied by figures and donkeys. Created by 1575 as one of nine surrounding compartments for a larger devotional print known as the Virgin of Sorrows, the work was later separated, allowing individual scenes like this one to stand alone. Ghisi, a skilled 16th-century Italian printmaker active in Mantua and Rome, specialized in detailed engravings that brought religious narratives to wider audiences through the reproducible medium of print. The compact scale—measuring just under three inches—highlights Ghisi’s mastery of the engraving technique, where fine lines create depth, texture, and emotional intimacy within a limited space. Such devotional prints played a vital role in Renaissance culture, offering affordable spiritual imagery for personal contemplation and prayer. Today, this piece from the Metropolitan Museum’s collection invites viewers to appreciate both its delicate craftsmanship and its connection to a once-unified composition centered on themes of sorrow and protection.

About the Artist

Giorgio Ghisi · 1520–1582

Giorgio Ghisi (c. 1520–1582) was one of the most accomplished engravers of the Italian Renaissance, renowned for translating the monumental compositions of Raphael, Giulio Romano, and Michelangelo into the exacting medium of the burin. Born in Mantua, he trained in an environment shaped by the legacy of Giulio Romano's decoration of the Palazzo del Te, and the grandeur of that Mannerist tradition ...