The Rest on the Flight into Egypt (recto)
c. 1879–80
Medium
gray and graphite wash, with scraping and traces of black chalk
Dimensions
{"sheet":{"height":0.145,"width":0.255},"secondary support":{"height":0.279,"width":0.39}}
Classification
Drawing
Department
Drawings
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1997.178.a
Tags
About this artwork
This drawing relates to Luc-Olivier Merson's Rest on the Flight into Egypt, among the most popular paintings exhibited at the 1879 Paris Salon. This dream-like, highly unusual image from the familiar bible story shows Mary and Christ resting peacefully in the arms of a Sphinx, while Joseph sleeps near their dwindling fire. In the wake of its extraordinary success, Merson made several painted replicas of the work. Here, the composition is identical, but reversed, suggesting that it may have been ...