The Flight into Egypt

c. 1544–45
Jacopo Bassano (Italian, 1510–1592)
Oil on canvas
Norton Simon Art Foundation

Jacopo Bassano specialized in the production of Biblical, pastoral scenes featuring peasants and animals. His paintings were admired for their richness of color and complex designs. Here the procession is animated by a strong sense of diagonal movement, the swirling draperies and the emphatically gesturing angel. Only the Madonna and Child, the physical and spiritual apex of the composition, appear tranquil. The sublimely eccentric angel leads them into undefined, even precipitous territory. His right hand points to a sprouting tree, a symbol of Christ’s resurrection. This type of intricate, picturesque composition, pleasing in every detail, was inspiring to later generations of artists.

Encounters with the Collection: Bassano’s The Flight into Egypt

During the pandemic, when many of us were unable to visit our favorite artworks in person, staff at the Norton Simon Museum created videos to bring the permanent collection to our public. Encounters with the Collection (from Home) allowed people from all over the world to take a closer look at and learn more about significant objects in the Museum’s collections. In the 2020 video on The Flight into Egypt, Associate Curator Maggie Bell offers insights into the history and patronage of Bassano’s dynamic composition. She discusses how this subject might have appealed to a wealthy urban collector because of Venetian investments in agriculture even while the Holy Family and peasants on their travels embody the virtuous life of poverty.