St. Christopher.

This etching, drawn and printed by the famous Bolognese artist Guido Reni (1575-1642) epitomises the early Baroque, with its compositional clarity and strongly religious message. It is characterised by Reni's delicate yet spirited use of lines and dots which was widely influential.

Here the much-loved patron saint of travellers is seen in a familiar depiction. Following the suggestion of a Christian hermit, he carried people across a dangerous stretch of river, assisted by his size and strength. After Christopher had performed this service for some time, a little child asked him to carry him across. During the crossing, the river became swollen and the child seemed as heavy as lead, so much so that Christopher could scarcely carry him and found himself in great difficulty. When he finally reached the other side, he said to the child: 'You have put me in the greatest danger. I do not think the whole world could have been as heavy on my shoulders as you were'. The child replied: 'You had on your shoulders not only the whole world but Him who made it. I am Christ your king, whom you are serving by this work'. The child then vanished.

Reni's contrast of the charmingly tiny infant astride the giant saint's right shoulder is highly effective, as is the deliberately unfinished landscape.

Dr Mark Stocker   Curator, Historical International Art      March 2017