The Flight into Egypt

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The Epic Journey Through the Desert! One of the most iconic scenes in the Bible is the Flight into Egypt. Who does it depict? The story unfolds in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 2:13-23), where Joseph flees to Egypt with Mary and their infant son Jesus after a visit from the Magi, who learned that King Herod intended to slaughter all the infants in the area. This poignant episode has been frequently depicted in art as the final scene of the Nativity of Jesus and is often featured in cycles of the Life of the Virgin and Christ. It's a testament to the enduring power of this biblical event. Technical Details about the Statue A stele is a stone or wooden slab, typically taller than it is wide, erected as a monument in ancient Western culture for funerary or commemorative purposes. These slabs often feature text and ornamentation, such as inscriptions, carvings, or paintings. Traditional Western gravestones can be considered the modern equivalent of ancient stelae. The term "stele" is most commonly applied to objects from Europe, the ancient Near East, Egypt, China, and Pre-Columbian America. In archaeological contexts, stelae-like forms are often found in non-Western cultures, where they may be referred to by other terms. More about the Artist Jacopo della Quercia was born in 1374 in Quercia Grossa (now Quercegrossa), near Siena. He received his early training from his father, Piero d'Angelo, a woodcarver and goldsmith. Della Quercia's work shows a marked shift from the Gothic style to that of the Italian Renaissance, influenced by his exposure to Roman sculptures and sarcophagi in Pisa. His earliest known work is the Man of Sorrows (Altar of the Sacrament) and a relief on the tomb of St. Aniello in Lucca cathedral. In 1401, he entered a competition for the bronze doors of Florence's Baptistery but lost to Ghiberti.