The Flight into Egypt

Art Historical Context

### The Flight into Egypt Cosmè Tura's *The Flight into Egypt*, painted in the 1470s, captures a pivotal biblical moment from the Gospel of Matthew: the Holy Family—Virgin Mary cradling the infant, accompanied by Joseph and led by a donkey—fleeing Herod's massacre of the innocents. This tondo, or circular panel (15¼ inches in diameter), exemplifies Tura role as a leading figure in the Ferrare school of early Renaissance Italy where he blended intense emotional with precise, jewel-like. Crafted in temper on wood, a hallmark 15th-century Italian, the work uses egg-based pigment for its colors and fine brushwork ideal for devotional intimacy. Tura's angular forms and dramatic lighting create a sense of urgency tenderness, reflecting Ferrara's courtly patronage under the Este family, who favored such compact, richly symbolic pieces for private chapels or homes. Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of The Jules Bache Collection (1949), this artwork highlights the enduring cultural devotion to the Flight narrative, blending spirituality with Renaissance innovation in a format that invites quiet contemplation.