Saint Сhristopher 1637

Jusepe de Ribera painted Saint Christopher with oil on canvas in the 17th century. Ribera’s oil paint is applied with loose brushstrokes, and the subdued palette lends the work an earthiness that complements the subject. Christopher was a man of great physical strength, and is here portrayed as a working-class laborer rather than a classical hero. Look at the way his feet are calloused, and his skin is tanned from work. The artist has carefully built up the form of Saint Christopher’s muscular frame through repeated applications of thin paint. In the legend, Saint Christopher unknowingly carried the Christ child across a river; as he did so, the weight became almost unbearable. This miracle is referenced through the globe, which refers to Jesus’ dominion over the world. But the overall impression is one of naturalism, where the nobility of labor is preferred to idealized form. Ribera used the traditional medium of oil paint to tell a decidedly un-aristocratic story, reminding us that fine art and craft can indeed have a common touch.