The diagonal across the night sky is the Milky Way. Elsheimer is the first painter to accurately depict the constellations, such as Ursa Major. Several light sources – the moon and stars reflected in the lake, the fire near the shepherds, and the torch in Joseph’s hand – illuminate the dark scenery. The painting portrays the biblical story, in which Joseph, Mary, and Jesus run from the frightening King Herod into Egypt. Despite breaking a few “art traditions” from that period, it influenced many painters in their artistic pursuits, such as the Dutch masters Rembrandt and Rubens. The Flight into Egypt is one of the first naturalistic depictions of the night sky in a Renaissance painting. Adam Elsheimer, The Flight into Egypt, 1609, Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Germany.
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February 2023
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