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Saint Christopher

A work made of mezzotint in black on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of mezzotint in black on ivory laid paper.

Date:

1665/77

Artist:

Wallerant Vaillant (Dutch, 1623-1677)
after Cornelis van Poelenburch (Dutch, 1594/95-1667)
after Adam Elsheimer (German, 1578-1610)

About this artwork

In this print, Wallerand Vaillant articulates landscape, figure, and atmosphere with the perfect subtlety of light. Mezzotint was a relatively new intaglio process in which the artist burnished out highlights and gradations, effectively erasing the darkness, from a completely roughened copper plate that would print black if left untouched. In the final state the artist added stars, as well as more definition to the clouds and landscape, and intensified the highlights of the figures and their respective objects (the staff of the Saint, and the world held by the Christ-child). The result is a tonally richer composition.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Wallerand Vaillant

Title

Saint Christopher

Place

Netherlands (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1665–1677

Medium

Mezzotint in black on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

Image/plate: 16.9 × 21.9 cm (6 11/16 × 8 5/8 in.); Sheet: 17.6 × 22.7 cm (6 15/16 × 8 15/16 in.)

Credit Line

The Joseph Brooks Fair Collection

Reference Number

1967.34a

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/191342/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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