Section H: Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child, from "The Triumph of Christ"
Original title: Section H: Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child, from "The Triumph of Christ"
kurzbeschreibung
Andrea Andreani's 1836 lithograph shows Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child on his back, accompanied by a procession of the faithful. This sheet reproduces a woodcut from the cycle 'The Triumph of Christ' in lithographic form.
Description
The layout runs horizontally, presenting a line of figures moving forward in procession. Christopher stands at the center with the Christ Child on his shoulders, while monks and other pilgrims, some holding palm fronds, walk alongside him. Everything stays in black and white, evenly lit, with a wealth of detail throughout.
Context
'The Triumph of Christ' is a multi-part woodcut cycle based on designs by Andrea Mantegna. Andrea Andreani made woodcuts after these models in the sixteenth century, and the 1836 lithograph is a later reproduction of one of those woodcuts. The sheet belongs to a series devoted to Christ's triumphal procession.
Impact
Clear lines and nuanced greys give the print a calm, solemn mood. The procession feels orderly and reverent, and the eye is drawn toward Christopher as the leading figure.
Technique
The image was executed as a lithograph, a planographic process in which a design is drawn on limestone with greasy chalk. Because it copies a woodcut, the precise linework and the detailed rendering of the figures make sense.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)