William Kurelek: Flight into Egypt

Flight into Egypt is part of a series of 20 paintings by William Kurelek depicting the Nativity story that was reproduced in his book, A Northern Nativity: Christmas Dreams of a Prairie Boy.

Based on dreams he had as a 12 year-old living in Manitoba in the 1930s, the artist reimagined the Christmas story in a wintery Canadian setting. Kurelek painted scenes of the Nativity in a fisherman’s hut, a garage, a cowboy’s barn, and depicted the Holy Family receiving refuge in a city mission, a grain barn, and a country school.

In his introduction to the book, Kurelek writes: “Outside the prairie was covered with snow. Toward eleven o’clock William ventured out of the warm farmhouse kitchen up the dark stairway to his cold bedroom. Swiftly he stripped down to his long johns, dived between the icy sheets and pulled the covers over his head. Curled into a ball like a hibernating animal, he breathed and breathed until he felt warm enough under the blankets to relax and stretch out.

William enjoyed watching himself fall asleep, going back over the events of the day and seeing them slowly take on a new life in his dreams. In school that day his class had begun rehearsing for the annual Christmas concert. As drowsiness came over William, the Nativity story got mixed up with his history and geography lessons, and he had his first Christmas dream. It was about the Far North, perhaps because his nose protruded from the bedcovers and breathed the cold crisp air in the bedroom.”[1]

Flight into Egypt, reproduced in colour in A Northern Nativity, represents Kurelek’s last dream. His accompanying text reads: “On the first Christmas Joseph dreamed of an angel who told him to flee to a far country. Now the Holy Family is preparing to flee William’s country too. They have been given a horse and buggy by a community of devout farming families. They are off now and seem to be taking the warmth with Them as They disappear into the blowing snow. William had grown fond of Them as he followed Their fortunes throughout his country. Now he tries to run after Them, to beg Them to stay. But his legs sink deeper into the snow and he cannot move. He calls to Them in panic: ‘Please don’t go!’ This time he is heard. Their compassionate words float back to him through the blizzard: ‘We will return one day — when you are ready to receive Us with undivided love.’ William woke shivering. His running in the dream had kicked the bedcovers to the floor. But the warmth of Their parting promise left him with enough peace to go back to restful sleep.”[2]

[1] William Kurelek, A Northern Nativity: Christmas Dreams of a Prairie Boy (Montreal: Tundra Books, 1976), unpaginated.
[2] Ibid.

About the Auction

Flight into Egypt is featured in our Major Fall Canadian & International Fine Art auction online November 7 – 28, alongside a major Lake Superior canvas by Lawren Harris, an early abstract by Rita Letendre, a charming composition by Jean Paul Lemieux, an urban scene by Peter Clapham Sheppard and three iconic sculptures by British artist Lynn Chadwick. Other notable artists represented in this auction include James Wilson Morrice, Jean McEwen, David Hockney, and Shirin Neshat. Please also see PANORAMA FROM THE MARTYR’S SHRINE, MIDLAND, 1964 also by William Kurelek in this auction.

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