There are many ways that divine beings manifest themselves to believers. Artists have depicted these amazing events in their art, and Albrecht Dürer did so in the fabulous woodcut “St. Christopher Carrying the Infant Christ” (1511).
Since the sixth century, St. Christopher has been a popular religious figure as the protector of travelers. There are several legends about the saint. Dürer’s version presents the story that Christopher was a giant of a man with great physical strength, and he dedicated himself to service. He crossed paths with a hermit who told him about Christianity, and Christopher converted. He asked the hermit, “How can I serve God?”
“Because of your size and strength, use your physical talents for good,” the hermit advised. “We have a deep stream near here. Take travelers across.” So that’s what the big man did. He ferried whoever needed to cross the small but deep stream.
One day a small child, no more than 2 or 3, approached the giant. “Take me,” the child said. Christopher looked around for the child’s parents. No one else was around. The big man put the tiny child on his shoulder, who weighed nothing. A strong breeze picked up as Christopher stepped into the river with his little charge.
Although carrying a small child should have been a simple task for him, his muscles were straining. Up to his knees in the stream, Christopher sensed the child seemed heavier. He struggled to keep the child on his shoulders. He was up to his waist as he neared the opposite shore. Christopher had only a few feet to reach the opposite bank. He could barely take another step under the great weight on his shoulders.
Christopher fell forward on the shore. With his face on the ground, he could see little feet pointed toward him. “Rise, Christopher,” a little voice said. “You have carried me. And now you know what I carry: the sins of the world.” As a stream of sunlight pierced the gloom and momentarily blinded the big man, the child was gone.
A Miraculous Moment
Albrecht Dürer’s woodcut shows Christopher about to reach the shore. He wears a headband to keep sweat from his eyes, and his head is bent down, willing himself to go forward. One hand clutches his belt to steady himself, while the other hand tightly grasps his walking stick. The muscles in his thighs are bulging with effort. An unnatural wind lifts his cloak and that of the child’s garment and pushes against him.The masterful crosshatchings in the cloak and the child’s clothing shows the folds of the fabric ballooning upward from an invisible breeze. Amazingly, the sky is clear, the landscape behind the figures is tranquil, and the stream seems to hardly move.
The figure of a hermit in the background on the right holds a lamp as if to guide Christopher in his holy service. The figure suggests that any task can be sacred, even carrying people across a stream. The artist placed the date of the woodcut at the top center of the composition.
Dürer’s skills as a woodcutter and engraver were becoming well known throughout northern Europe during the Renaissance. In this print, he skillfully depicts figures in the midst of a momentous event.
Not only did Dürer portray human figures with great realism, he presented expressions and physical positions that give a deeper message. This woodcut shows the importance of service, and through this divine encounter, a hint of the heavy burden of man’s sins.
