Flight into Egypt

About this artwork

Giovanni Baglione's *Flight into Egypt*, a pen and ink drawing from the artist's undated oeuvre, captures the biblical narrative of the Holy Family's perilous journey to escape King Herod's massacre of the innocents. Created in the late 16th or early 17th century, this work reflects Baglione's Roman Baroque sensibility, blending dramatic tension with tender devotion. As a painter, biographer, and critic—author of a key 1642 guide to artists' lives—Baglione often explored religious themes, making this scene a poignant example of his narrative skill in preparatory sketches. Executed on cream laid paper with fine pen lines in brown ink, subtle brush and brown wash for shading, and faint black chalk underdrawing, the 25.1 × 19.5 cm sheet showcases virtuoso techniques of the Italian draftsmanship tradition. These methods allowed artists like Baglione to model forms with light and shadow, refining compositions before committing to larger paintings or frescoes. The paper's later mounting on ivory laid paper preserves its intricate details, highlighting the drawing's role in the workshop process. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, this gem invites visitors to appreciate the intimacy of old master drawings—humble yet profound precursors to grand altarpieces. Baglione's touch evokes the era's fervent Counter-Reformation spirituality, where art served faith amid Rome's artistic rivalries.