Rest on the Flight into Egypt
- Artist: Parmigianino
- Date: 1523-24
- Medium: oil on panel
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "Rest on the Flight into Egypt" by Parmigianino. Painted in 1523‑24 when the Italian artist was just twenty years old, it shows the early stages of his remarkable career. The composition centers on the Virgin Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus, journeying to Egypt to flee persecution. Parmigianino’s hand is evident in the graceful, elongated forms of the angel and the Holy Family. Their poses feel slightly detached, almost as if they are more idealized than emotionally engaged, hinting at his youthful inexperience.
The background features an ancient building rendered from a skewed perspective that looks more like an architectural study than a realistic setting. The choice of oil on panel gives the colors a subtle luminosity, and the light falls gently across the figures, emphasizing their elongated limbs and delicate drapery.
Overall, this painting is a window into Parmigianino’s early experimentation with perspective and form, laying the groundwork for the elegant, elongated style that would define his later masterpieces.
See it in person
Rest on the Flight into Egypt hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
