The Return of the Holy Family from Egypt
1773
Medium
Oil on copper
Dimensions
22 1/4 × 16 1/2 in. (56.5 × 41.9 cm) Framed: 25 in. × 19 1/2 in. × 1 1/2 in. (63.5 × 49.5 × 3.8 cm)
Classification
Painting
Culture
Mexican
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Louis V. Bell, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, and Rogers Funds and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest and several members of The Chairman's Council Gifts, 2014
Accession Number
2014.174
Tags
Art Historical Context
**The Return of the Holy Family Egypt**, painted in 1773 by Mexican artist Nicolás Enríquez captures a tender moment from the biblical narrative. The Holy Family—Virgin Mary cradling the Christ Child, Saint Joseph guiding them, and symbolic doves representing purity and the Holy Spirit—returns safely from their flight into Egypt, evading King Herod's massacre of the innocents. Divine figures hover above, blessing their journey home, in a scene rich with devotion and divine protection. Created during the late colonial period in New Spain (modern-day Mexico), this work reflects the era's ferven...