I was traveling with one of my sisters up to Hearst Castle (now a State Park on the California Coast) a number of years ago. While on one of the walking tours, I happened to take a particular notice of a painting hanging on the wall. It was stunning to me. I later contacted the Hearst Castle staff regarding the origin of the painting. They told me that it was one of a number of museum "rotated artifacts" (or some such terminology). They did not offer any reproductions for sale, nor could they refer me to one.
Well, about eleven years later, I ran across the image on some website that sells various size copies of that museums collection. The image I put here on this blog is from their demo page.
I consider this this painting by Merson to be a profound insight into a classic journey in Bible history: The Flight into Egypt. This painting depicts Mary, with the heavenly-illuminated Infant Jesus, asleep on the Egyptian Sphinx (a famous symbol reminiscent of another theology that is not Christian). Joseph, Jesus' father on the viligant night watch, is exhausted from the demands of the journey. You know he has just fallen into slumber (or maybe just closing his eyes for a moment). Because the fire is still burning, though barely. The isolation of the flight from danger is evident in the solitude of the desert. The familiarity with Egypt is well expressed with the use of the Idol/Icon, the Sphinx that we are all so familiar with. It is very human, yet it is also The Holy Family. This is, in my opinion, wondrous art.
I am glad to be able to share it with you.
--Dan
