The artwork, “Flight into Egypt. Palais de Justice, Tangier,” painted by Henry Ossawa Tanner in 1908, is a religious painting created in the style of Impressionism. This piece depicts the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt, a common subject in Christian art. The setting is Tangier’s Palais de Justice, rendered with impressionistic techniques that emphasize light and color over detail and realism.
The artwork is characterized by its atmospheric use of lighting and muted color palette, predominantly various shades of blue and grey, which create a subdued and contemplative mood. The architecture of the Palais de Justice features prominently in the composition, its linear structure and repetitive arches giving a sense of imposing solidity. In the foreground, silhouetted against the large, looming buildings, are two figures leading a camel, symbolizing Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus during their flight into Egypt. The artist’s loose brushwork and subtle blending of colors evoke a dreamlike quality, capturing the essence of the scene over its precise details.
