Landscape with Flight to Egypt, Jasper Van der Lanen, Antwerp circa 1630

Our painting presenting a green landscape dominated by twisting trees illustrates one of the biblical episodes: the flight to Egypt of Mary, Joseph and Jesus to escape the harassment of Herod.
The group of figures placed at the edge of a wood represents the Holy Family giving alms during their journey.
Relatively small, but immediately perceptible by their central position in the foreground, the group of figures constitutes the emotional pivot of the composition and the religious scene, solemnized by the masses of abundant foliage of the century-old trees, seems captured in a moment of eternity. The gray sky reflecting in the river adds a hazy atmosphere and helps make the scene unreal and out of time.
Mary, holding the child Jesus in her arms and mounted on a donkey, led by Joseph, offers bread to beggars, sharing what little they have. The young boy and his father receive bread from Mary, the bread representing the Eucharist. The figures are dressed in contemporary Flemish clothing.
Imaginary view of the forest of Flanders, the wood which borders the edge of a small river is typical of the sylvan landscapes in vogue at this period. The depth of the composition is achieved through the shadows and light breakthroughs while the artist's palette ranging from bluish and silvery greens and towards browns and golden greens creates layers of overlapping foliage.
The painter takes obvious pleasure in reproducing meticulously, in addition to the foliage, the various details of his landscape: the flowers, the grasses, the branches, the reflections of the trees in the water or the birds in the areas.

Jasper Van der Lanen (Antwerp, 1585 - Antwerp, 1634)
Oil on copper, dimensions: h. 26 cm, w. 38cm
Flemish style frame in ebonized wood adorned with wavy moldings and brown tortoiseshell veneer.
Framed dimensions: h. 44 cm, w. 55cm

Provenance:
Philips auction, London, 5/12/1995, lot 21, as Jasper Van der Laanen
Thierry de Maigret auction, 06/29/2011, as attributed to Abraham Govaerts

Jasper Van der Lanen (Antwerp, 1585 - Antwerp, 1634)
He was a pupil of Nicolaas Geerts in 1607 and became a member of the guild of Saint-Luc d'Anvers in 16151. He married Elisabeth Roumbouts in 1624 at the Saint-Joris church and the painter Abraham Govaerts was his best man. He works in the studio of the latter and will take it over after the death of Govaerts. Both painters are best known for their landscapes, but van der Lanen differs from his master and friend in the treatment of foliage.