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Saint Christopher crossing the river with Christ in the form of a putto on his shoulders and a hermit in the foreground

Original title: Saint Christopher crossing the river with Christ in the form of a putto on his shoulders and a hermit in the foreground

Artist

Marcantonio Raimondi

Date

ca. 1500–34

Medium

Engraving; only state

Dimensions

Sheet: 12 5/8 × 8 11/16 in. (32 × 22 cm) Plate: 8 3/8 × 5 11/16 in. (21.3 × 14.5 cm)

Credit line

Bequest of Grace M. Pugh, 1985

kurzbeschreibung

Marcantonio Raimondi made this engraving at some point between 1500 and 1534. It depicts Saint Christopher wading through a river while carrying a putto on his shoulders—a figure that stands for Christ. In the lower right, an elderly hermit watches the event.

Description

The saint stands turned slightly to the left, one leg already in the water, leaning on a staff. On his shoulders rests a putto, identified as Christ by a cross or a blessing gesture. In the foreground, placed a little lower, a hermit in a long robe appears, his gaze fixed on the two. Behind them opens a landscape with trees and mountains, given volume through parallel hatching and cross-hatching. The figures' garments are detailed with folds and hair.

Context

Raimondi, an Italian Renaissance engraver, is best known for his reproductive prints after Raphael. In the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, Saint Christopher was venerated as the patron of travelers, which is why his image was so widespread. This sheet survives in only one state and was made around 1500–34. Nothing is recorded about the exact circumstances of its creation; stylistically it points to the Roman art scene of those years.

Impact

The calm linework and balanced layout give the print a dignified mood. By showing the Christ child as a putto, the divine becomes tangible in infant form and invites contemplation. The landscape behind creates spatial depth and binds the figures together harmoniously.

Technique

For this engraving, lines were incised into a copper plate, which was then inked for printing. Raimondi used fine parallel hatching and cross-hatching to create shadow and a sense of volume. The sheet measures 32 × 22 cm and exists in only one state.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)