Rest on the Flight into Egypt | Luc-Olivier Merson | 1880 Hans Baluschek thought to be modeled after

thought to be modeled after Agnès Sorel—mistress of King Charles VII—is depicted with an unnaturally pale

1668) captures a moment of quiet intellectual pursuit

a popular rural pastime in Flanders in the late 19th century

mirrors his psychological entrapment as a hunted man

a vast landscape stretches out

Rest on the Flight into Egypt | Luc-Olivier Merson | 1880 Hans Baluschek thought to be modeled afterAbout the artwork: Rest on the Flight into Egypt (1880) by Luc Olivier Merson transforms the biblical story into a hauntingly poetic scene of silence and solitude. Instead of focusing on the traditional warmth of the Holy Family, Merson places them in a desolate desert under the pale glow of moonlight. The Virgin Mary, dressed in blue, sleeps with the infant Jesus in her arms, resting at the feet of a massive Egyptian sphinx that looms protectively