Pieter Bruegel the Elder
1563
Oil paint on wood
49.6 x 55.6 cm
In this captivating work, Pieter Bruegel depicts the story of the Virgin Mary, Joseph and their infant son Jesus on their way to Egypt, fleeing persecution. However, Bruegel sets the scene in a dramatic European landscape, perhaps recalling his experience of crossing the Alps. Remarkably for such a small picture, it is packed with fine details. Some symbolise the family’s arduous journey ahead. In the left foreground, three men cross a precipice on a rickety bridge.
On the right, a small idol tumbles from its shrine on a dead tree trunk, marking the end of pagan worship. Made for the politician and collector Cardinal Granvelle, this work was later owned by the artist Peter Paul Rubens, whose paintings are displayed in the next room.