Saint Christopher c. 1528

This woodcut of Saint Christopher was created by Sebald Beham in the 16th century. We see Christopher, the giant, carrying the Christ Child across a river, a staff in his hand. The image is alive with symbols—the crescent moon, the hermit's lamp—each a beacon in the sea of time. The weight of the world rests on Christopher's shoulders, a motif echoed across cultures. Think of Atlas, or even the myth of the Fisher King, each bearing burdens, physical or spiritual. The staff, initially a mere support, blossoms into a symbol of divine will, mirroring Aaron's rod. Consider the emotional weight conveyed: the stoic burden-bearer, the guiding light. We see a man’s earnest and weary resolve, a quality found in countless images of devotion and toil. The psychological power of such images resides in their capacity to stir our collective memory, tapping into primal narratives of burden, guidance, and transformation. Thus, Christopher strides through time, his image ever reshaped, yet forever echoing the fundamental human yearning for guidance and meaning.