Departure into Egypt (At the Inn)

Henry Ossawa Tanner, Departure into Egypt (At the Inn), n.d., oil on wood, 21 ³⁄₈ x 18 ¹⁄₄ in. (54.4 x 46.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.193

Free to use

Artwork Details

Title: Departure into Egypt (At the Inn)
Artist: Henry Ossawa Tanner
Date: n.d.
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 21 ³⁄₈ x 18 ¹⁄₄ in. (54.4 x 46.4 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins
Mediums: oil
Mediums Description: oil on wood
Classifications: Painting
Subjects: Religion — New Testament — Flight into Egypt
Religion — New Testament — Christ
Object Number: 1983.95.193
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1983.95.193

Artwork Description

This painting is different from Henry Ossawa Tanner’s other paintings on the same theme, in which the Holy Family flees through the desert to save their son from Herod. In Departure into Egypt (At the Inn), Mary, who holds her newborn, is just starting her journey. The bearded man holding the lantern is not Joseph, but probably the guard who will lead them out of the city.