Artwork
St. Christopher, Facing Right
St. Christopher, Facing Right is a print by the Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1496 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1496 by Albrecht Dürer, a pivotal German Renaissance artist, this black‑and‑white print portrays the legendary saint Christopher. The composition follows the traditional iconography of the saint bearing the Christ Child across water, rendered with Dürer’s meticulous line work and careful attention to anatomical detail.
Subject & Meaning
The image shows a bearded figure holding a long staff, upon which a small, round child rests, symbolising Christ. The saint wades through shallow water beside a rocky shore, while a distant church and a lantern‑bearing woman suggest themes of pilgrimage, guidance and the protective role of faith.
Technique & Style
Executed with sharp incised lines and pronounced chiaroscuro, the print employs deep shadows to model the figures and landscape, creating a dramatic contrast between illuminated forms and dark background. Dürer’s precise hatching and cross‑hatching convey texture, from the rough stone to the flowing water, exemplifying his mastery of early printmaking.
History & Provenance
Albrecht Dürer, born in Nuremberg in 1471, had already earned a reputation for refined woodcuts by the mid‑1490s, when he produced this work.
Albrecht Dürer, born in Nuremberg in 1471, had already earned a reputation for refined woodcuts by the mid‑1490s, when he produced this work. The print reflects his transition toward more complex engraving techniques, although the specific medium of this piece remains catalogued as a print rather than a distinct woodcut or engraving. Its early ownership records are limited, but it has been cited in several catalogues of Dürer’s oeuvre.
Artist & collection
Artist
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
![Madonna and Child [obverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--madonna-and-child-obverse--d7b8ebf05d22ebe5-w320.webp)
![Lot and His Daughters [reverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--lot-and-his-daughters-reverse--b4ebf9b282faa17a-w320.webp)
