The Miracle of the Palm Tree on the Flight to Egypt
Unknown Artist
ca. 1490–1510
Medium
Walnut, gesso, paint, and gilding
Dimensions
49 3/4 × 36 1/2 × 10 1/2 in., 110 lb. (126.4 × 92.7 × 26.7 cm, 49.9 kg)
Classification
Sculpture-Wood
Culture
Spanish
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1938
Accession Number
38.184
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Medieval Art collection of the Metropolitan Museum of, *The Miracle of the Palm Tree on the Flight to* (ca. 1490–1510) is a Spanish wood sculpture that captures a tender moment from Christian apocryphal lore. This vivid scene depicts the Holy FamilyVirgin Mary cradling the Christ Child, Saint Joseph guiding their donkey, and attending angels—amid their perilous flight from King Herod into Egypt. Miraculously, a palm tree bends low at Mary's request, offering its fruit as divine refreshment, symbolizing God's providence and Mary's sanctity in late medieval devotion. Crafted from...