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Source Description
One of the most popular saints in the Late Middle Ages, Saint Christopher—whose name means "Christ-bearer"—was the patron saint of travelers and pilgrims. A legendary giant, Christopher wished to serve the most powerful king in the world. A hermit advised him to devote his life to Christ and to carry pilgrims and travelers on his back across a dangerous river, guided by the light of the hermit's lantern. Here, Schongauer depicts the story, focusing on the moment before the saint reaches the shore with the child on his back. According to legend, when the saint finally reached the far shore, he exclaimed that he felt he had carried the whole weight of the world on his back. Here, the cruciform rays of light around the child's head reveal him as Christ.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
112098
label
St. Christopher
core
obj
dtoType
print
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
112098
contentType
print
title
St. Christopher
description
One of the most popular saints in the Late Middle Ages, Saint Christopher—whose name means "Christ-bearer"—was the patron saint of travelers and pilgrims. A legendary giant, Christopher wished to serve the most powerful king in the world. A hermit advised him to devote his life to Christ and to carry pilgrims and travelers on his back across a dangerous river, guided by the light of the hermit's lantern. Here, Schongauer depicts the story, focusing on the moment before the saint reaches the shore with the child on his back. According to legend, when the saint finally reached the far shore, he exclaimed that he felt he had carried the whole weight of the world on his back. Here, the cruciform rays of light around the child's head reveal him as Christ.
date
1475–80
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80004647
creators
12292
genreSpecific
Print
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Image: 16.1 x 11.2 cm (6 5/16 x 4 7/16 in.); Sheet: 16.1 x 11.2 cm (6 5/16 x 4 7/16 in.)
cul
Germany
accession
1930.574
Source extras
tec
engraving
tombstone
St. Christopher, 1475–80. Martin Schongauer (German, c. 1450–1491). Engraving; image: 16.1 x 11.2 cm (6 5/16 x 4 7/16 in.); sheet: 16.1 x 11.2 cm (6 5/16 x 4 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Dudley P. Allen Fund, 1930.574
collection
PR - Engraving
didYouKnow
Prints depicting St. Christopher were believed to protect from the <em>mala mors </em>(dying suddenly without receiving the last rites), which was of particular concern to pilgrims and travelers.
catalogueRaisonne
Lehrs V.252.56
creditline
Dudley P. Allen Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:55:38.285000
sourceId
112098
dept
Prints
coll
PR - Engraving
med
engraving
creatorTags
male
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
01c558b757c4bb8a