The Return from Egypt (Retour d'Égypte)

James Tissot · 1886–1894
Brooklyn Museum, New York

On the way home from Egypt the family walks through a stony valley under olive trees full of birds. Tissot painted Jesus now as a boy with curly hair, riding the donkey and waving his hands as he talks.

Joseph, in a turban and striped cloak, carries bags hung with tassels and leads the donkey. Mary walks alongside in a blue robe and white veil, with a staff in her hand and a load on her head.

From the text

“Take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel” (Matthew 2:20)

Joseph goes to the land of Israel (Matthew 2:21)

The artist’s own

Jesus shown as a talkative boy of several years

Birds flying among the olive trees

Details

The boy

Jesus rides the donkey and raises his hands as he speaks.

Joseph

He carries tasselled bags and holds the donkey’s rein.

Mary

She walks with a staff, a bundle balanced on her head.

Birds

Small birds flutter in the branches overhead.

James Tissot, French, 1836–1902. Brooklyn Museum, New York (Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.37) · Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper · Brooklyn Museum (Commons file page, «Permission»): "This image was uploaded by the Brooklyn Museum as a content partnership, and is considered to have no known copyright restrictions by the institutions of the Brooklyn Museum." — "No known copyright restrictions".

The verses

Matt 2:19–23After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those seeking the Child’s life are now dead.” So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he learned that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”