Rest on the Flight into Egypt

Art Historical Context

Federico Barocci's *Rest on the Flight into Egypt created after 1570, a tender moment from the biblical narrative where the Holy Family pauses during their escape from King Herod. The Italian artist, renowned for his luminous religious scenes blending Mannerist grace with Raphael-inspired harmony, infuses this work with emotional warmth and serene beauty, making it a standout in Renaissance printmaking. This chiaroscuro woodcut printed from two blocks in medium and dark brown inks on ivory laid paper (34.9 × 28.1 cm), exemplifies an innovative technique that mimicked the tonal modeling of oil paintings. By layering tones to create light and shadow effects—chiaroscuro, or "light-dark"—Barocci achieved a painterly depth rare in woodcuts, which were typically bold and linear. This method elevated prints from mere reproductions to artistic objects in their own right, popular among 16th-century collectors. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, the work highlights the era's flourishing graphic arts, bridging painting and print culture. Visitors will appreciate its subtle modeling and intimate scale, inviting close contemplation of Barocci's masterful balance of spirituality and naturalism.

About the Artist

Federico Barocci · 1535–1612

Federico Barocci (c. 1535–1612) was an Italian painter from Urbino whose luminous, emotionally tender religious paintings made him one of the most original and influential artists of the late sixteenth century, bridging Mannerism and the early Baroque. Born in Urbino, the city of Raphael, he studied under Battista Franco and traveled to Rome, where he absorbed the lessons of Raphael, Correggio, an...