Return from Egypt - Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert

A detailed Baroque engraving by Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert, after a design by Peter Paul Rubens, depicting the Holy Family on their return from Egypt.

This engraving by Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert depicts the Holy Family during their return from Egypt. The composition is based on a design by Peter Paul Rubens, reflecting the close professional relationship between the painter and the engraver. Bolswert was a master of the burin, capable of translating the painterly qualities of Rubens into the precise, linear language of printmaking.

The central figures of the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint Joseph are rendered with a sense of movement and grace. Mary leads the child by the hand, while Joseph walks alongside, holding a staff. Above them, the figure of God the Father emerges from clouds, accompanied by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. This arrangement creates a vertical hierarchy, linking the earthly journey of the family with the divine presence above.

Bolswert employs a sophisticated system of hatching and cross-hatching to model the forms and suggest the texture of the drapery. The light source appears to emanate from the divine figures, casting subtle shadows across the landscape and the figures below. The Latin inscription at the base, 'ET ERAT SVBDITVS ILLIS', refers to the biblical account of Jesus being obedient to his parents. The print demonstrates the technical skill required to reproduce the dramatic lighting and anatomical detail characteristic of the Flemish Baroque style. By focusing on the interplay of light and shadow, Bolswert achieves a sense of volume and depth that defines the figures against the atmospheric background. This work provides a clear example of how reproductive printmaking allowed the compositions of major painters to reach a wider audience during the seventeenth century.