It’s high time that we put women in the art world in the spotlight! At the Mauritshuis we want to show more masterpieces by women artists, and sometimes this opportunity arises with a new painting. This is why, from spring 2022, we’re extremely proud and happy to be able to share this work by talented artist Catharina van Hemessen with you. Rest on the Flight into Egypt has been loaned to us by a private collection and will form part of our collection on a long-term basis. Will you come and admire it soon?
The painting
Deep in the forest we see Mary holding her child, the baby Jesus, in her arms. We are witness to a tender moment between mother and child as they rest on their journey. In most paintings, you see Mary wearing a blue dress. This is also the case here and she has laid her red cloak over her lap to keep her warm.
Only as you look for longer do you notice that they’re not alone: Joseph, Mary’s husband, and their donkey are standing on the right, behind the rocky outcrop. Van Hemessen painted the landscape with great care and in meticulous detail. She treats us to a magnificent view of mountains, colourful surroundings and winding paths that lead you to a secluded village with a church tower in the distance. It’s almost like a fairy tale, but nothing could be further from the truth: the family has fled Bethlehem and are on their way to Egypt. An angel has warned them that Herod is looking for the child and wants to kill him.
This Bible story was a popular subject for painters. Endless versions and variations of the Rest on the Flight into Egypt were made. It offered artists lots of possibilities: the opportunity to show a loving moment between mother and child, as well as the chance to paint a beautiful landscape. The special thing about this painting by Van Hemessen is that the child is mischievously looking out at us while Mary kisses him.
Hidden surprise
Thanks to extensive research, we have discovered that Catharina van Hemessen painted over a figure: a kneeling person. Judging by that person’s outfit, the figure is a woman. She is looking at Mary and holding her hands in prayer. Who is she? Was she the person who commissioned the painting? We can only guess.
Trailblazer
Van Hemessen was a 16th-century Antwerp artist and a true pioneer. She was the very first European artist to paint a self-portrait seated at her easel. She proved to be a trailblazer, with many other painters – both men and women – following her example. In her self-portrait, she appears as a self-assured twenty-something at the easel with a palette, brushes and painter’s stick at the ready. This Self-Portrait at the Easel from 1548 is on view in the Kunstmuseum in Basel.
Nowadays, almost everyone wants to project a perfect image of themselves to the outside world – be it on- or offline. In the 16th century too, Catharina was showing herself to best advantage: painting in such an expensive, velvet dress wasn’t particularly practical. Above all, her elegant outfit shows she was raised in a wealthy family.
Her life
Catharina van Hemessen was well known during her own lifetime. This is what makes it so strange that we know so little about her today. Luckily we can form an impression of her via her works of art. She signed and dated almost all of her creations. She also recorded that she was 20 when she painted her self-portrait.
Van Hemessen would have trained in the workshop of her father, a successful painter. And since she lived in the heart of Antwerp’s lively community of artists, she would have felt surrounded by fellow painters who inspired one another. She married at the age of 26, but why is it that there is only one known painting made by her after her wedding? It won’t have been through lack of ambition. Painting possibly didn’t suit the itinerant lifestyle of her husband, who was an organist. Or maybe she continued to paint, but her works have been lost. In 1556, the couple joined the court of Mary of Hungary in Spain. We believe that she gave painting lessons there, although we have no proof of this.
Van Hemessen excelled at small-format paintings. Mostly portraits, but she also made religious paintings that were much larger compared to her other works. The Italian historian Lodovico Guicciardini praised her for her talent. It is clear that she was an icon for her time.
