Landschap met de rust op de vlucht naar Egypte

About this artwork

plaatrand: hoogte 394 mm x breedte 517 mm

Art Historical Context

**Landschap met de rust de vlucht naar EgypteLandscape with the Rest on Flight into Egypt)** Created in 1622 by Flemish engraver Nicolaes deyn (1571–1656), this striking engraving depicts a serene biblical scene from the New Testament: the Holy Family—Mary, Joseph, and infant Jesus—pausing during their flight from Herod's massacre of the innocents. De Bruyn, a master of the Antwerp engraving tradition, blends lush landscape elements with religious narrative, a popular motif in Northern European art that humanized sacred stories amid natural beauty. Measuring 394 mm high by 517 mm wide, the plate captures the expansive Dutch-Flemish countryside, evoking the era's growing fascination with realistic landscapes during the transition from Mannerism to Baroque. As an engraving, the work showcases de Bruyn's virtuoso technique of intricate line work, where fine incisions into a copper plate create tonal depth, texture, and atmospheric effects. Prints like this were revolutionary for their reproducibility, making high art accessible beyond elite patrons and disseminating religious imagery across Europe during the Counter-Reformation. This piece reflects the cultural importance of devotional art in 17th-century Flanders, inviting viewers to contemplate divine protection in everyday pastoral settings. (198 words)

About the Artist

Nicolaes de Bruyn · 1571–1656

Nicolaes de Bruyn was a Flemish printmaker born in Antwerp in 1571, active during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries and known primarily for his large, elaborately detailed engravings of landscapes, hunting scenes, and biblical and mythological subjects. He trained in the tradition of Flemish reproductive engraving and was deeply influenced by the work of his contemporaries and pre...