Flight into Egypt

Robert Loftin Newman, Flight into Egypt, n.d., oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Webster, 1975.57
Copied Robert Loftin Newman, Flight into Egypt, n.d., oil on canvas, 12 1⁄4 x 18 1⁄8 in. (31.0 x 46.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Webster, 1975.57
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Flight into Egypt
Artist
Date
n.d.
Location
Dimensions
12 1⁄4 x 18 1⁄8 in. (31.0 x 46.1 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Webster
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Keywords
  • Animal — donkey
  • Religion — New Testament — Christ
  • Religion — New Testament — Mary
  • Religion — New Testament — Flight into Egypt
  • Religion — New Testament — Joseph
Object Number
1975.57
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1975.57

Artwork Description

This painting shows the flight of Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus into Egypt. Robert Loftin Newman was very close to his mother, and he painted many subjects that emphasized the bond between mother and child. He never knew his father, however, and in this painting the figure of Joseph appears only as an indistinct figure in the shadows to the right. (Landgren, Robert Loftin Newman, 1827-1912, 1974) The atmospheric colors and indistinct shapes evoke the “new spirit” of American art that emerged toward the end of the nineteenth century.