Arcadópolis
Rest on the Flight into Egypt
Caravaggio, c. 1597
What you see
A standing angel, seen from behind and wearing only a white cloth, divides the picture in two. On the left, Joseph, wrapped in an orange cloak, has a music book open, and a donkey’s head peers out behind him. On the right, Mary sleeps bent over the Child, who is asleep in her lap.
Each half has its own mood: Joseph’s is brown and earthy, with the travel bundles; Mary’s, in deep reds, opens onto a landscape of water and trees. The angel’s gray wings are rendered feather by feather. Notice the wicker-covered bottle at lower left and the donkey’s huge eye, right beside the neck of the violin.
About Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi, called Caravaggio after his family’s home town, painted scenes as if they were happening on a dark stage lit by a spotlight. He used ordinary people from the street as models, which was very daring at the time. His use of light and shadow inspired painters all over Europe.
More by Caravaggio
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