Artwork
Saints Christopher, Sebastian, and Roche

Saints Christopher, Sebastian, and Roche is an ink print by the Renaissance artist German 15th Century. It dates from 1495 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. This woodcut print presents a triad of saints within a landscape setting.
About this work
Overview
This woodcut print presents a triad of saints within a landscape setting. Saint Christopher, Saint Sebastian, and Saint Roche are each depicted in distinct postures and with characteristic attributes, set against a dark, detailed background that includes foliage and a distant church.
Subject & Meaning
The composition brings together three saints, each with their own narrative: Saint Christopher bearing the infant Christ, Saint Sebastian enduring martyrdom via arrows, and Saint Roche in devotion with an accompanying angel. Their grouping may symbolize collective virtues or a patron's devotion to these specific saints.
Technique & Style
Executed in woodcut, the piece leverages the medium's capabilities to achieve intricate lines, textures, and a sense of depth. The dark background contrasts with the detailed, foregrounded saints, guiding the viewer's focus towards the central figures.
Context
Woodcuts like this were popular in the medieval and early Renaissance periods for disseminating religious imagery. The inclusion of a church in the background and the choice of saints may reflect the religious practices or the patronage of the time, though specific contextual details about this work are not provided.
Artist & collection
Artist
This 15th-century German artist carved vivid religious scenes into metal and wood, then hand-painted them in bright, symbolic colors.






![Studies for Six Figures (sheet from a model book) [recto], by German 15th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/german-15th-century--studies-for-six-figures-sheet-from-a-model-book-recto--4837429e0755bc3f-w320.webp)












