Art Institute of Chicago

Saint Christopher

Israhel van Meckenem the Younger

Date

n.d.

Medium

Engraving in black on ivory laid paper

Culture

Germany

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

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.

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