Saint Christopher

Follower of Hans Baldung Grien

third quarter 16th century · Pen and black ink, brush and blackish brown and blackish gray wash, highlighted with opaque white, on reddish brown prepared paper · Robert Lehman Collection

Saint Christopher is known as the giant who carried the Christ Child across a river to safety. Here, he appears as a decrepit man bracing himself under the Child’s extraordinary weight. The billowing drapery, with its bold, curvilinear folds, reveals the artist’s attention to dramatic contrasts of light and shadow against the dark ground of the paper. This chiaroscuro drawing style recalls the work of the German artist Hans Baldung, and the work was likely made by one of his followers.

Artist

Follower of Hans Baldung Grien

Date

third quarter 16th century

Medium

Pen and black ink, brush and blackish brown and blackish gray wash, highlighted with opaque white, on reddish brown prepared paper

Culture

German, Upper Rhine

Department

Robert Lehman Collection

Credit line

Robert Lehman Collection, 1975