Giant, river and journey · Saint Christophe

Goya, Rubens, Patinier and Matteo di Giovanni present Saint Christopher as a protective giant, bearer of the Child, figure of an altarpiece and traveler crossing a vast landscape.

The legend of Saint Christopher tells that a man of exceptional strength seeks to serve the most powerful master. A hermit entrusts him with the task of helping travelers cross a river. One night, he carries a child whose weight becomes that of the world: the child turns out to be Christ. This crossing explains his name "bearer of Christ" and his traditional protection of travelers. Goya isolates the figure with direct vigor. Rubens isolates the figure with direct vigor. Rubens gives it a powerful monumentality and integrates it into shutters or scenes with the hermit. Patinier deploys the episode in a vast landscape where the river, rocks and horizons multiply the dangers of the journey. Matteo di Giovanni and Bartolo di Fredi integrate it into altarpieces, sometimes with the Virgin and other saints. The "Saint Christopher" selection notably compares Virgin and Child with Catherine and Christophe - Matteo di Giovanni and Saint Christopher - Francisco de Goya. His reading favors figures.

Christophe advances in the water with a child on his shoulder; the invisible weight of the world transforms a crossing into a revelation.