Who painted Saint Christopher?

Saint Christopher was painted by Unknown in 1450.

Where can I see Saint Christopher?

Saint Christopher is held by Philadelphia Museum of Art.

What movement is Saint Christopher?

Saint Christopher is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Artwork

Saint Christopher

Unknown , 1450

Saint Christopher is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Unknown. It dates from 1450 and is held in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

About this work

The work survives only in a mid‑15th‑century copy on oak panel that the Philadelphia Museum of Art acquired in 1917.

Saint Christopher is a lost painting dated around 1450. It is usually linked to Jan van Eyck.

The work survives only in a mid‑15th‑century copy on oak panel that the Philadelphia Museum of Art acquired in 1917. The copy shows a giant, bearded man walking through water, holding a child on his shoulders. The child is the infant Christ, holding a globe and raising his arms. The scene is set in a detailed, colorful landscape with rocks and an early evening sky.

You might also check out the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Overview

The composition known as Saint Christopher, attributed to Jan van Eyck, is no longer extant; its existence is documented through a mid‑15th‑century replica on oak panel now housed in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The copy, produced between roughly 1460 and 1470 by an unidentified follower, preserves the original’s subject and visual details.

Subject & Meaning

The image portrays the legendary giant Saint Christopher, patron of travelers, as he wades through a river, bearing the infant Christ upon his shoulders. The child holds a small globe and raises his arms in a gesture of blessing, symbolising the saint’s role in carrying the weight of the world for humanity.

Technique & Style

Rendered in oil on oak, the copy displays a richly coloured, atmospheric landscape typical of early Netherlandish painting. Detailed foliage, jagged rocks framing the scene, and an early‑evening sky studded with stars create a luminous setting, while the figures are modeled with careful attention to texture and light.

History & Provenance

The original work, dated to around 1450, has been lost. Knowledge of it derives from the Philadelphia copy, acquired by the museum in 1917, and a contemporaneous drawing from the 1480s in the Louvre, both of which echo the same composition.

Context

Saint Christopher was a popular devotional subject in the 15th century, especially among travelers seeking protection. Van Eyck’s workshop often produced such religious images, and the surviving copies reflect the demand for portable, didactic representations of the saint’s legend.