Artwork Page for The Return of the Holy Family to Nazareth

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The Return of the Holy Family to Nazareth

c. 1627
(French, 1594–1665)
Measurements
Framed: 159.5 x 124 x 14.5 cm (62 13/16 x 48 13/16 x 5 11/16 in.); Unframed: 134 x 99 cm (52 3/4 x 39 in.)
Credit Line
Public Domain
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Did You Know?

Nicolas Poussin used wax figures and wetted paper or fabric to model the bodies in his paintings, helping him to capture the realistic folds, movement, and balance of light and shadow.

Description

When King Herod learned that he would lose his throne to a child born in Bethlehem, he ordered all male infants to be massacred. Mary and Joseph thus fled to Egypt to protect their son, Jesus. The age of the boy in this painting suggests that Poussin depicted the less-common subject of the Holy Family’s return from Egypt. Jesus reaches toward a vision of a cross borne by angels, a reference to both his eventual crucifixion and Herod’s cruel slaughter of innocent children.
A vertically oriented oil painting depicts the Holy Family in a boat, all with light or medium skin tones. On our left, the Virgin Mary stands in a blue mantle. Beside her, Joseph kneels holding the nude Christ child. On our right, a man in a red tunic poles the boat. Above, winged figures carry a wooden cross within dark clouds. All wear vibrant robes in blue, yellow, and red against a wooded landscape.

The Return of the Holy Family to Nazareth

c. 1627

Nicolas Poussin

(French, 1594–1665)
France, 17th century

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