The flight into Egypt: altered plate from Seghers

The flight into Egypt: altered plate from Seghers by Rembrandt van Rijn, executed in 1653, is a compelling study in artistic modification and printmaking mastery. This specific work is technically unique because Rijn repurposed and heavily modified an existing copper plate originally etched by Hercules Segers (c. 1589-c. 1638). Rijn dramatically transformed the composition of Segers’s original, somewhat desolate landscape print, adding the key narrative elements of the Holy Family and adjusting the intense chiaroscuro to suit his own dramatic style. This practice demonstrates the collaborative and competitive nature of Dutch Golden Age art, where even established masters engaged with the works of their predecessors.

The subject centers on the biblical Flight into Egypt, a theme Rijn returned to repeatedly throughout his career, often utilizing deep shadows and focused illumination to convey both spiritual depth and physical fatigue. By reworking the plate, Rijn created a visual dialogue between the two artists, turning an existing topographical study into a narrative piece. The resulting fine art print is celebrated for its technical brilliance and atmospheric intensity, showcasing the artist’s mastery of the drypoint and etching processes on paper. This crucial work is preserved in the prestigious collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it serves as an important reference point for understanding Rijn’s sophisticated experiments in prints. Given its historical significance and institutional holdings, high-quality images of this masterwork are frequently made available for study in the public domain.