The Flight into Egypt (after Maarten de Vos); Plate 8 of a series of 51 engravings for: The Life, Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ"

Jean Baptiste Barbé

This image is plate 8 from a series of 51 engravings for 'The Life, Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ'. The series was published by Adriaen Collaert, circa 1600 - 1620. This impression is printed on a cream laid Namur paper with a watermark (Briquet 1722). The reference for this image is Hollstein (Dutch / Flemish) 282, state ii/ii.

The engraving is itled beneath the image: "Ioseph consurgens accepit puerum et matrem eius nocte; et secesit in AEgyptum. Matth 2." (Joseph arose, he took the young child and his mother by night to Egypt and in secret).

This refers to the bible passage Matthew 2: “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him. And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son."