Landscape with the Rest on the Flight to Egypt

Rembrandt began to make landscape paintings at the end of the 1630s. The only one of his landscapes set at night, Landscape with the Rest on the Flight to Egypt is a Biblical scene depicting Joseph and his family fleeing King Herod. It was conceived in relation to a print by Hendrick Goudt, another artist of the Dutch Golden Age.

Rembrandt’s borrowing was not due to lack of imagination, but in the spirit of dialogue with his forebears, showing how the power of the scene could be enhanced with the techniques he was developing. Rembrandt’s use of light in this painting is particularly enchanting. He uses highlights to accentuate the light’s echoes and reflections, comparing two very different light sources—the warm hues of the fire around which Joseph and Mary huddle with the Child, and the cool and eerie light of the moon. Even in the shadows on their faces and backs, greens and blues settle, seeping in from the surrounding wilderness and emphasizing their vulnerability.

Rembrandt's year is officially over but as you can see, we can't get enough of him. You can see this work and many other masterpieces on display in Rembrandt’s Light, a cinematic exploration of works by the Dutch Master at the Dulwich Picture Gallery until 2 February 2020. Don't miss it!  : )

P.S. Read more about this magnificent exhibition here and about the great art robbery (luckily foiled!) here.