Rest on the Flight into Egypt by Joachim Patinir (Interpretation and Analysis)

Rest on the Flight into Egypt
Source: Museo del Prado

Now that we’re in December, Christmas is drawing closer. So, in honor of the approaching holiday, I want to share a painting by the Northern Renaissance master Joachim Patinir.

Like many painters of his time, Patinir focused on religious subjects. One of his religous paintings is Rest on the Flight into Egypt, an oft depicted motif in Christian. The piece depicts a scene from the gospel of Matthew in which an angel appears to Joseph in a dream to warn him that Herod is seeking to kill the Christ child. Upon waking, Joseph took Mary and Jesus and fled to Egypt, where the family was safe. Although the rest on this journey is not specifically mentioned in the bible, it became a part of recognized Christian iconography by the fourteenth century, and, over the years, it has provided the framework for some of the most imaginative pieces of art in Western history.

Patinir’s Rest on the Flight into Egypt takes a particularly creative approach to the subject. The Virgin and child sit in the foreground while behind them a strange landscape unfolds. From left to right we see the middle Eastern city of Heliopolis fading into a dark forest that eventually becomes a Northern European farm.

Quite obviously, the landscape makes no sense. However, it does offer a panoramic view of the world the way that Patinir perceived it. He pioneered a unique style of landscape painting known as the “world landscape” that provides a view at an imaginary landscape, one that often conveys a narrative. It is a unique and intriguing approach to storytelling through art.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.