The Holy Family at rest in Egypt
Jan van Huysum·1727
Historical Context
Van Huysum's Holy Family at Rest in Egypt from 1727 is another of his rare departures into religious figure painting, depicting the Rest on the Flight into Egypt — Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus pausing during their flight from Herod. The subject had been popular since the sixteenth century, with Flemish and Italian painters depicting the moment of rest in a landscape. Van Huysum's version would likely surround the Holy Family with the elaborate floral and botanical detail that was his trademark, bringing the still life painter's eye to sacred narrative.
Technical Analysis
The religious subject likely occasions a compromise between Van Huysum's landscape and botanical interests and the narrative requirements of the scene. The figures of Mary, Joseph, and the Child are set within a landscape enriched with the flowering vegetation and botanical detail characteristic of his speciality.
