Rest on the Flight into Egypt

Art Historical Context

Sébastien Bourdon's *Rest on the Flight into* captures a tender moment from the biblical narrative in the Gospel of Matthew, where the Holy Family pauses during their perilous escape from King Herod's massacre of the innocents. Bourdon, a prominent 17th-century French artist (1616–1671), in Paris and Rome, blending dramatic Caravaggesque light with elegant French classicism. This undated etching reflects his skill in translating grand history paintings into intimate prints, making sacred stories accessible to a wider audience during the Counter-Reformation era. Rendered as an etching on luxurious ivory laid paper—a high-quality 17th-century support prized for its smooth texture and subtle weave— the work measures a compact 18.5 × 23.3 cm. Etching allowed Bourdon to achieve fine, expressive lines through acid-etched copper plates, producing rich tonal contrasts and intricate details like the Virgin Mary's serene gaze or the lush foliage sheltering the group. Prints like this were revolutionary, enabling affordable reproduction and dissemination of elite art. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, this piece exemplifies Baroque devotion art's cultural role, inviting contemplation of divine protection amid human flight. Bourdon's etching not only showcases technical mastery but also bridges religious iconography with the rising popularity of print collecting among Europe's cultured elite.

About the Artist

Sébastien Bourdon · 1616–1671

Sébastien Bourdon (1616–1671) was a French Baroque painter of remarkable versatility and restless ambition, whose career carried him from the workshops of Paris to the courts of Rome and Stockholm before he returned to France to become a founding member of one of Europe's most important artistic institutions. Born on 2 February 1616 in Montpellier into a Protestant family, Bourdon was apprenticed ...