Flight into Egypt - Cornelis Cort

A masterful 1575 engraving by Cornelis Cort after Federico Barocci, depicting the Holy Family resting during their flight to Egypt.

This engraving by Cornelis Cort depicts the Holy Family during their journey to Egypt. The composition is based on a design by the Italian painter Federico Barocci, whose name appears in the lower right corner as the inventor of the scene. Cort, a Dutch engraver who spent significant time in Italy, was instrumental in translating the painterly qualities of Italian Renaissance and Mannerist works into the medium of print.

The scene shows the Virgin Mary seated by a stream, reaching out to gather water in a small bowl. Beside her, the Christ Child sits on the ground, reaching for a branch of cherries held by Saint Joseph. A donkey stands patiently in the background, tethered near a tree. The figures are rendered with a high degree of anatomical precision and soft modelling, characteristic of Cort's technical mastery. The use of cross-hatching and varied line weights creates a sense of volume and texture, particularly in the drapery of the garments and the foliage above.

Cort was known for his ability to capture the tonal nuances of original paintings. By employing a sophisticated system of lines, he achieves a range of light and shadow that gives the figures a sculptural quality. The background opens into a distant landscape, providing a sense of depth that contrasts with the foreground focus on the family. This print demonstrates the collaborative nature of printmaking in the sixteenth century, where the skills of the designer and the engraver combined to disseminate religious imagery across Europe. The work remains a fine example of the technical standards achieved by Dutch printmakers working in the Italian tradition.