Flight into Egypt from Rosario della V. Maria by Castellanus, plate 89 from Woodcuts from Books of the XVI Century

Art Historical Context

This delicate woodcut, titled *Flight into Egypt* from *Rosario della V. Maria* byanus (plate 89), captures a pivotal biblical scene from the New Testament: the Holy Family's hurried escape to Egypt to evade King Herod's massacre of the innocents. Created in 1539 as part of a 16th-century Italian devotional book, it exemplifies the era's woodcut technique, where intricate designs were carved into wooden blocks, inked, and pressed onto paper for affordable reproduction. Measuring just 13.3 × 8.1 cm, its intimate scale suited book illustrations, making sacred narratives accessible to everyday readers. Woodcuts like this one were revolutionary in the Renaissance, bridging art and literacy during the spread of printed books post-Gutenberg. Likely produced in Venice or another Italian printing hub, it reflects the period's fervor for Marian devotion—"Rosario della V. Maria" translates to "Rosary of the Virgin Mary," a popular prayer book aiding meditation on Christ's life. Assembled into the portfolio *Woodcuts from Books of the XVI Century* in 1937, this print preserves a snapshot of 16th-century piety and craftsmanship. Today, housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, it invites us to appreciate how humble paper and wood conveyed profound spiritual stories to the masses, blending artistry with faith in an age of discovery.