Provenance
Possibly Gregory Vladimirovitch Orloff (died 1826), Russia and Paris [Knox 1961]; possibly by descent to Prince Alexis Orloff, Paris [Knox 1961]. Sold, Galeries Georges Petit, Paris, April 29-30, 1920, Orloff sale, lot 86. Sold, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, November 6, 1929, lot 124. Sold by Robert Lebel, Paris, to Everett Graff, Winnetka, Ill., July 9, 1957 [1986 appraisal in curatorial file]; given to the Art Institute, 1986.
Accession Number
113952
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over black chalk, on off-white laid paper
Dimensions
42.7 × 29.8 cm (16 13/16 × 11 3/4 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Everett D. Graff
Background & Context
Background Story
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's "The Flight into Egypt" (1735/40) is a pen and brown ink drawing with brush and brown wash over black chalk on off-white laid paper, depicting the Holy Family's flight into Egypt. Tiepolo returned to this subject multiple times throughout his career, finding in it opportunities for both dramatic composition and the depiction of landscape. This drawing shows the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child on a donkey, guided by Joseph, making their way through a landscape. The pen and ink technique is fluid and expressive, the lines creating a sense of movement and purpose. The brown wash adds atmosphere and depth. The black chalk underdrawing provides the initial structure. The composition is dynamic, with the figures moving diagonally across the picture plane, the landscape opening up before them. Tiepolo's treatment emphasizes the protective care of Joseph and the serene confidence of Mary, the Holy Family journeying through a world that is beautiful but potentially dangerous, sheltered by divine grace.
Cultural Impact
Tiepolo's drawings of the Flight into Egypt combine his gifts as a draftsman with his deep engagement with religious subject matter, creating works that are both technically brilliant and spiritually moving.
Why It Matters
This drawing of the Flight into Egypt captures the journey of the Holy Family with grace and humanity, the flowing lines and atmospheric wash creating a sense of protective movement through a beautiful but uncertain world.
