Saint Christopher

Melchor Pérez Holguin

ca. 1710–20 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

This painting depicts the legendary martyr, Saint Christopher, in his characteristic role as "Christ-bearer." The giant Canaanite carries the divine child across the turbulent waters of a river, his shoulders stooped and limbs strained beneath the nearly unbearable weight of the world and the one who created it. The diminutive child carries an oversized globe surmounted by a cross, a symbol of Christ’s dominion over the world. The nocturnal crossing is illuminated by the rising full moon and by the light that radiates from the tiny child. The friar who raises a lantern on the opposite riverbank is the hermit who, according to legend, directed Christopher to serve Christ by carrying travelers across the perilous river. The dark, craggy landscape suggests the dangerous nature of their passage. Although the painting is not signed or documented, it can be attributed to Melchor Pérez Holguin, the most important artist working in and around the wealthy mining center of Potosí during the first three decades of the 18th century. Holguin’s highly original artistic personality features a conspicuous ascetic sensibility that was well-suited to convey the austere religiosity of the monastic orders that were his leading clients.

Artist

Melchor Pérez Holguin

Date

ca. 1710–20

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

Bolivia

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of James Kung Wei Li, in memory of Ambassador and Mme Ti-Tsun Li, Republic of China, 2018