Saint Christopher (after van Eyck)
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''Saint Christopher'' is a lost painting by Jan van Eyck. The painting is mainly recorded through a 1460–70 copy on oil on oak panel, in the Philadelphia Museum of Art since 1917, and a c 1480 drawing at the
Musee du Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
. The c 1460–70 copy is by an unknown follower. Each show a giant, bearded man, wading through water with a large stick, carrying the infant Christ on his shoulders. The implication is that St. Christopher, patron saint of travelers, carries the weight of the world on his back;Saint Christopher
. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Retrieved 15 December 2014 The works show him leaning on a large stick as Christ holds a globe, with arms raised in blessing, his robe billowing to the right. The pair are set in a highly detailed, richly coloured and atmospheric landscape. There are jagged rocks on either side, set against an early evening sky, with star formations.Borchert, 156 The painting was hugely influential and widely copied. It is directly referenced in a wing of
Dieric Bouts Dieric Bouts (born c. 1415 – 6 May 1475) was an Early Netherlandish painter. Bouts may have studied under Rogier van der Weyden, and his work was influenced by van der Weyden and Jan van Eyck. He worked in Leuven from 1457 (or possibly earlier) ...
Munich ''Adoration of the Maji'', and
Hans Memling Hans Memling (also spelled Memlinc; c. 1430 – 11 August 1494) was a painter active in Flanders, who worked in the tradition of Early Netherlandish painting. He was born in the Middle Rhine region and probably spent his childhood in Mainz. He ...
's '' Moreel Triptych''. The Philadelphia copy, through dendrochronological analysis, is placed as around 1460, and probably closely follows the colourisation of the original. However it omits a lot of detail found in the drawing, which is considered superior.


See also

*
List of works by Jan van Eyck This is a list of works by the Early Netherlandish artist Jan van Eyck. Van Eyck was not a prolific artist, with only twenty-one paintings attributed to him by scholars. Van Eyck was the first major European artist to utilize oil painting. Though ...


Notes


Sources

* Borchert, Till-Holger. ''Van Eyck to Durer: The Influence of Early Netherlandish painting on European Art, 1430–1530''. London: Thames & Hudson, 2011.


External links


At the Philadelphia Museum of Art
{{Authority control Paintings by Jan van Eyck 1430s paintings Paintings depicting Jesus Water in art