

3758
9
Rest on the Flight into Egypt
1879
Fleeing persecution at the hands of Roman authorities, the Holy Family takes refuge in Egypt. Joseph dozes beside a dying campfire while his donkey grazes on sparse desert grass. At left sleep the Virgin Mary and infant Christ, crowned with a halo of light. They lie in the arms of a sphinx, its eyes turned to the heavens, where the first stars begin to appear. A successful Academic artist, Merson never traveled to North Africa, but his use of archeological detail creates the illusion of an eyewitness account, breathing new life into a time-honored subject. [source]
Lower right: LVC OLIVIER-MERSON / MDCCCLXXIX
Bequest of George Golding Kennedy
Lower right: LVC OLIVIER-MERSON / MDCCCLXXIX
Bequest of George Golding Kennedy
- Size:
- 71.8 x 128.3 cm (28 1/4 x 50 1/2 in.)
- Medium:
- Oil on canvas
- License:
- Public Domain, Courtesy of the MFA Boston
- For more:
- http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/rest-on-the-flight-in…
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