The Flight into Egypt
The Flight into Egypt
Artist
Creation date
about 1943
Materials
oil on canvas
Dimensions
14 1/2 x 15 3/8 in.
22 x 22 1/2 in. (framed)
Credit line
Gift of Mrs. James W. Fesler
Accession number
61.37
Collection
Currently On View In
William L. & Jane H. Fortune Gallery
Copyright
© The Estate of Marc Chagall/2007 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris
Typical of Chagall's colorful fantasies, this work offers a rich mixture of personal symbolism. Its setting derives from happy childhood memories of Chagall's Russian village, yet the black windows and gaping doors suggests his anguish at the suffering of World War II.
While the figures may well be the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt, they could also symbolize the artist's own flight from war-torn France. The man's apparel relates to Chagall's reverence for the tragic humanity of clowns. The candle and raven are symbols of light and dark, concepts that often appear in Chagall's work.
Provenance Research is on-going at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and information will be added to this record as research is completed. Please contact Annette Schlagenhauff, Assoc. Curator of Research, at aschlagenhauff@imamuseum.org with any questions.
