Return from the Flight into Egypt

This painting narrates the episode in which the Holy Family leaves Egypt, a territory to which they had to flee when Jesus was a newborn due to the threats of King Herod, who wanted to prevent the Messiah from overthrowing him from power. 

In texts such as the Armenian Gospel of Infancy, it is recounted that the journey from Egypt to Nazareth was wide. According to these narratives, the Holy Family visited Heliopolis, Galilee, Canaan, Israel, and Tiberias before reaching their permanent home. 

Although there are various iconographic formulas to represent this journey, the most well-known depicts Joseph, Jesus, and Mary walking across a flowery field. In these images, the parents lead the Child by the hand, displaying a tender and protective attitude. 

The Child is depicted as an infant of around seven or eight years old. He holds an orange in his left hand and gazes lovingly at the Virgin Mary. 

The Holy Family is not alone in their pilgrimage. They are accompanied by God the Father, represented at the top of the image holding an orb; the Holy Spirit and a group of angels and cherubs surround Him. 

Following a descending order, the painting represents the Holy Trinity, complemented by the earthly figure of Christ as an infant. 

In accordance with this logic, the image portrays a dual Trinity, the divine Trinity represented by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the earthly Trinity embodied in the figures of the Holy Family. 

The images of the Holy Family had great significance in the Nueva Granada context as exemplary tools. However, in the Reino de la Nueva Granada, situations such as single-parent households, divorce, and cohabitation were quite common.