c. 1647-1650
Rest on the Flight into Egypt
Jan Baptist WeenixDutch (active Amsterdam, Rome, and Utrecht), 1621 - 1660/61
The Holy Family's rest during their escape from the murderous Herod was a popular devotional subject. Here Weenix, a Dutch artist who had just returned from Italy, locates the figures in front of classical ruins. The dove that the baby Jesus holds in his right hand alludes to purity, peace, and the Holy Spirit. The apple in his other hand refers to the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge that was forbidden to Adam and Eve by God. The suggestion of a cross in the hayloft may prefigure the Crucifixion, while the dog may represent the Christian virtue of obedience.
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