The plate was not part of any of the early collections and is almost certainly not in existence anymore.

Matthew 2:14-15
The flight into Egypt was one of Rembrandts favourite subjects of which he made a series of etchings over a rather long period, from 1629 till 1655 (Bartsch numbers 52 to 59). Most of these have a similar size, all are much smaller than this one.

This is a special and unique plate in Rembrandt oeuvre, since he (re)used an existing plate made by Hercules Seghers, Tobias and the Angel. Rembrandt started by burnishing the right half of the plate. He then replaced Tobias and the Angel by Mary and Joseph on their flight to Egypt. The difference in style is clearly noticeable in the foliage. In the top right hand corner a part of the original wings of the Angel can still be seen.
Hercules Pieterszoon Seghers (ca. Haarlem 1589 – ca.1638 The Hague) was a Dutch painter and printmaker, who went through similar financial problems as Rembrandt did in the 1650’s. He presumably died after becoming drunk and falling from the staircase in his own house. Rembrandt was an admirer of Seghers. According to the list of his estate, made-up in 1656 as part of the bankruptcy proceedings, he owned eight landscape paintings by his hand.
In one of these paintings, Landscape with mountains (now in the Uffizi in Florence) Rembrandt did a similar job by adding some cattle and people.

The original etching by Hercules Seghers is based on an engraving by Count Hendrick Goudt (1613), included in the collection ‘Rembrandt in Black & White’, nr 315. It was in turn based on a painting by Adam Elsheimer (in the National Gallery in London). In all three works a small lizard can be seen in the front. The very small figure in the centre of the field at left is typical for Seghers.

Not all authors recognized the ‘photoshopping’-trick Rembrandt performed here. Wilson, in 1836, calls the plate “in the style of Elsheimer” not making any reference to Seghers.

The New Hollstein lists six states, the final one not by Rembrandt. Most other authors list seven states. Nowell-Usticke does not consider the original etching to be a state. He lists two trial proofs and two states.
The 1st state (NH, WB, R188) is the original by Seghers, showing Tobias and the Angel. on a donkey. There are minor alterations in the landscape, the new figures are dark and without shading.
In the 2nd state (NH, WB, R189-190/NU trial proof A) Rembrandt has replaced the figures by Joseph leading Mary
In the 3rd state (NH, WB, R191/NU trial proof B) two branches on the left side of the smallest tree and a tree trunk are added.
In the 4th state (NH, WB, R192/1st state NU) detailed work is added to all the foliage and a twig added to the top of the withered tree.
In the 5th state (NH/6th state WB, R193/2nd state NU) the third tower is removed. The figures are lighted in several places, like the left shoulder, the left knee and the headdress of the Virgin. According to Münz, not the work of Rembrandt. There are four strong horizontal lines in the lower right corner. Many rust spots appear in the sky. In later impressions of this state the marks in the sky are not clear anymore.
The 5th state of WB (impression in the Rijksmuseum, R192) is in fact a retouched version of the 4th state. Nowell-Usticke considers the unique copy of this state to be ‘an accidental variety’. He dates this print earlier than the 4th state.
In the 6th state (NH/7th state WB final, R194) the sky is wiped clean. NU considers these later impressions of his 2nd state.
Middleton lists an 8th state with rework on the trees to the left. Hind considers all states after the 4th as inferior.

Of the 1st state, the original etching by Seghers, only two copies are known, in the Rijksmuseum (R188) and the Rothschild Collection.
Of the 2nd state, the first state by Rembrandt, only two impressions are known, also in the British Museum and in the Rothschild Collection (R189). Both are printed on vellum, with different inking.
Of the 3rd state only one impression is known, in the Rothschild Collection (R191).
Of the 4th state there are at least six impressions on Japanese paper.

In the 1st state: Foolscap with five-pointed collar.
In the 4th state: Strasbourg lily (2 ed. both c. 1635).
In the 5th state: Arms of Amsterdam; Arms of England; Strasbourg lily with initials 4WR; Arms of London with cm GR’ (c. 1694 or later);

H 266, BB 53-2, G 56, M 236, Mz 216, RA 188-194, Cl 60, W 61, Bl 29, Du 61, CD 228, S 23.
Rembrandts passie, p. 75-79; Vogelaar 2006, p. 16-17; Hinterding 2006, p. 258; Hinterding 2008, p. 123ff; Verdi 2014, p. 38-61;

New Hollstein: 5th state of VI/White-Boon: 6th state of VII
A very good, richly inked impression with considerable burr in the figures, foliage and landscape. The vertical line and marks in the sky very distinct. The marks in the sky and the hills in the distance are well visible. These are all indicators of the 5th state, as is the watermark. The print is probably contemporary. There is a repaired tear in the upper left corner, adhesive from old hinges at all corners, verso.
Sheet 208/207 x 278 mm, trimmed slightly within the platemark (-4%).
Watermark: Strasbourg Lily with initials 4WR, (Ash/Fletcher 36 A.4 WR B, Hinterding variant A.b.a.), similar to an impression in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. See Hinterding 2006, p. 258. Horizontal chain lines at approx. 26 mm.

Rembrandt in Zwart-Wit, Westfries Museum (Hoorn), Het Markiezenhof (Bergen op Zoom), Stedelijk Museum Zutphen, Het Hannemahuis (Harlingen), Museum Gouda, Jan ten Horne Museum (Weert), Stadsmuseum Harderwijk, March 2013-August 2015; Stedelijk Museum Vianen, October 2017 – January 2018;
Rembrandt in Black & White, Schloß Britz (Berlin), Bozar Expo (Brussels), Chateau des Penthes (Geneva), November 2015- October 2016;
Op reis!, Stedelijk Museum Zutphen July-November 2021;
Rembrandt, fotograaf avant-la-lettre, Museum De Reede (Antwerp), January – May 2023;
Rembrandt, 17th century photographer, Daegu Art Museum (Korea), November 2023 – March 2024;
Rembrandt, de fotograaf, Westfries Museum (Hoorn), June 2024 – January 2025