To escape King Herod’s persecution, the Holy Family fled into Egypt. The Virgin and Child are shown resting on their journey, while in the background a date palm miraculously bends over and allows St Joseph to pick its fruit. This legendary incident is typical of the sort of detail with which artists at this period fleshed out the Bible stories. The painting is a Netherlandish version of a north Italian original, which may have been by Leonardo da Vinci.
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