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Saint Christopher

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

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

Date:

n.d.

Artist:

Israhel van Meckenem the Younger
German, c. 1440/45-1503

About this artwork

The powerful giant Saint Christopher was said to have carried the infant Christ across a raging river without knowing who he was. The further the saint waded, the heavier his burden became, until, safe on the opposite bank, he realized that he had been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, as well as its creator. Israhel van Meckenem made several prints of this subject showing the saint in varying degrees of strain, struggling under the weight and in the swift torrent. This print is unusual in that it shows the saint’s feet through the transparent water; the shallow depth confirms that Christopher has just reached the opposite bank.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Israhel van Meckenem, the younger

Title

Saint Christopher

Place

Germany (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.

Artist's working dates 1465–1503

Medium

Engraving in black on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

Image/sheet: 13.6 × 10.2 cm (5 3/8 × 4 1/16 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Mrs. Potter Palmer, Jr.

Reference Number

1956.842

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/3776/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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