Flight Into Egypt - Lady Chapel Bourges Cathedral

This stained glass panels (1575-1600) of the Flight into Egypt in the Lady Chapel of Bourges Cathedral is part of a sequence of images retelling the life of the Virgin Mary. It replaced earlier C13 windows which are thought to have been on the same themes. 

This stained glass panel, executed in a richly colored Renaissance style, depicts the biblical episode of the Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13–15) alongside a smaller inset scene of the Massacre of the Innocents (Matthew 2:16).

At the left, the Virgin Mary is seated side-saddle upon a donkey, swathed in a deep blue mantle and tenderly embracing the Christ Child, who rests against her cheek. Both bear golden halos, their sanctity illuminated by the surrounding brilliance of the glass. The donkey, rendered with delicate shading in earthy tones, steps carefully through a rocky and verdant landscape.

In the center foreground, Joseph leads the way on foot. He wears a red tunic beneath a dark cloak and carries a staff in one hand while a bundle hangs from a stick slung across his shoulder. His posture is purposeful, yet his head is turned backward, visually linking the main narrative to the subsidiary scene that explains their flight.

In the upper right, enclosed within a circular medallion-like frame, the Massacre of the Innocents unfolds in dramatic miniature. Soldiers brandish swords as desperate mothers struggle to protect their children, a vivid image of violence and grief. The juxtaposition reinforces the urgency of the Holy Family’s escape, as well as the providential care that shields the Christ Child from Herod’s wrath.

The background is dominated by a stylized cityscape of turrets and rooftops in deep blues, evoking Jerusalem or Bethlehem. Trees and foliage frame the journey, their naturalistic rendering testifying to Renaissance glass-painting techniques. The play of colour is characteristic of Bourges Cathedral’s later glazing: luminous cobalt blues, ruby reds, and verdant greens that glow against the darker lead outlines.

Together, the two scenes form a narrative pair: the peril of Bethlehem and the divinely guided journey into Egypt. The composition exemplifies the didactic function of stained glass, instructing viewers not only in biblical history but also in the themes of danger, deliverance, and divine protection.