The Flight into Egypt

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Artist Albrecht Dürer (German, May 21, 1471–April 6, 1528)

Title The Flight into Egypt (Die Flucht nach Ägypten)

Plate Number Plate 14

Series The Life of the Virgin

Date Ca. 1504, published 1511

Medium Woodcut on paper

Dimensions Image: 11 13/16 × 8 1/4 in. (30 × 21 cm)
Sheet: 11 15/16 × 8 5/16 in. (30.3 × 21.1 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 63.189

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About this Work

This print by Albrecht Dürer incorporates many of the motifs commonly associated with the Flight into Egypt, such as the date palm at the left of the composition. The palm refers to the apocryphal legend of a tree in the desert miraculously bending down to give shade and refreshment to the Holy Family at Christ’s request, as well as foreshadowing of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Dürer’s depiction of the palm, the “dragon tree” on the right, and the lizards in the foreground reveal the influence of an earlier engraving of the subject by Martin Schongauer.

Provenance
More Details

Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

Publisher Albrecht Dürer (German, May 21, 1471–April 6, 1528)
Plate Number Plate 14
Series Title The Life of the Virgin
Foreign Language Series Title Marienleben

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"The Flight into Egypt | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=63.189