Sieste en Egypte (also called "Fuite en Egypte")

Philippe Mohlitz

A surrealistic interpretation of the "rest on the flight into Egypt", a popular theme in Christian art taken from the story of the Flight Into Egypt (Gospel of Matthew). The scene is usually a depiction of the Holy Family and their mule at rest in a stark landscape on their way to Egypt, fleeing King Herod who viewed newborn Jesus as a threat to his throne. The resting scene first appeared in art in the 14th century and soon became one of the most frequently depicted biblical scenes in art history. Incidentally, it is noteworthy for being the only nightscape that Rembrandt ever painted.

This impression is from a printing of 10, outside the published edition of 100, before the plate was steelfaced.

Philippe Mohlitz took great inspiration from Old Masters in the execution of his compositions: vast, expansive, romantic landscapes rendered in minute detail. He also found kinship in modern Fantastique, a French subgenre of visual and literary arts that encompasses elements of Surrealism, Absurdism, Romanticism, fantasy, horror, and science fiction.

Here, he portrays the Holy Family as tiny objects in a vast and sinister landscape; small, insignificant travelers who would easily be overlooked. They rest among the massive carved stone faces and monuments of kingdoms long gone. On the right side a lush forest crowds the plate; on the left it begins to peter out into empty desert. Storm clouds roil above like ocean waves. The scene is viewed by strange creatures from within a cave, looking outward.