The Flight into Egypt

Benedetto Briosco and Tommaso Cazzaniga

National Gallery of Art

The sculpture depicts a scene with a central figure of a woman sitting on a donkey, holding a small child in her arms. Surrounding her are a man leading the donkey and a group of three women to the right. The figures are carved in relief and are presented in a rectangular frame. The colors of the sculpture are primarily light tones, resembling the natural color of the marble or stone from which it is made, contrasted with gilded elements highlighting features such as the clothing, the donkey's harness, and the architectural and natural background elements like a tree, fortifications, and sky. The sculpture presents a detailed and textured appearance, allowing the figures to stand out from the background. The figures are three-dimensional representations in the relief, giving the impression that they are part of a scene coming alive from the flat surface behind them.