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Few images capture the Holy Family’s early trials like Titian’s Rest on the Flight into Egypt. This early 16th-century masterpiece, a depiction of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as they fled to Egypt escaping Herod’s persecution, has a troubled history of its own. As read in Nina Masih’s article, the painting was “once looted by Napoleon’s troops,” and became “a part of royal collections for centuries,” and then came under the spotlight “when it was stolen from the home of a British marquess in 1995.”
Attributed to Titian (d. 1576), one of the greatest painters of the Venetian Renaissance, the painting is a poignant depiction of a pivotal biblical moment.
The oil on canvas, measuring 18 1/4 by 24 3/4 inches, is believed to have been painted around the year 1510. It depicts the Virgin Mary and Joseph as they seek refuge from King Herod’s decree, fleeing their home, carrying the infant Jesus in their arms.
For some, the painting’s own journey might be as remarkable as its sacred subject, reflecting the tumultuous paths that many religious artifacts have taken.
Found at a bus stop
Masih’s article explains the painting’s narrative took an extraordinary turn seven years after it was stolen in 1995, when an art detective discovered the painting abandoned in a plastic bag at a bus stop in southwest London. This seemingly mundane location, an urban crossroads, became the stage for the return of the image. The recovery of this artwork (almost biblical in its unexpected and humble rediscovery) somehow mirrors the Holy Family’s safe passage.
The painting made headlines again this week when it sold for more than $22 million at a Christie’s auction, setting a record for works by Titian.
For Catholics and art lovers alike, the journey of The Rest on the Flight to Egypt can be more than a story of theft and recovery.
As the painting finds its new destination, it reminds us of faith’s capacity to lead us to a safe harbor – no matter how troubled our own personal stories can be.
