St. Christopher carrying the Christ Child / Artist Unknown, England
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1961/1.178
- Title
- St. Christopher carrying the Christ Child
- Artist
- Artist Unknown, England
- Artist Nationality
- English
- Medium and Support
- alabaster with polychrome and gilding
- Object Creation Date
- circa 15th century
- Object Creation Place
- Europe (continent)
- United Kingdom (nation)
- England (country)
- Creation Place 1
- Europe (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- United Kingdom (nation)
- Creation Place 3
- England (country)
- Credit Line
- Museum Purchase
- Style/Group/Movement
- Gothic
- Dimensions
- 45.1 cm x 22.5 cm x 8.2 cm (17 3/4 in. x 8 7/8 in. x 3 1/4 in.)
- Century
- 15th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Sculpture
- Primary Object Type
- carving
- Secondary Object Classification
- Ritual Objects
- Secondary Object Type
- figure
- Physical Description
- A standing, bearded figure of St. Christopher, broken off at the knees, holds the Christ child on his right shoulder while leaning upon a staff in his left hand. The child, whose head is encircled by a halo, wears a long cloak over his robe and rests his left hand upon an orb in his lap. The red and brown polychromy is a later addition.
- Subject Matter
- This alabaster sculpture represents St. Christopher transporting the Christ child on his right shoulder across a river, although the waters that once swirled around the saint's legs were lost when the figure was broken at the knees. The relatively large size of this sculpture indicates that it probably served as the principle devotional figure in a small altarpiece.
- Primary Keywords
- alabaster (mineral)
- christianity
- england (country)
- globes (cartographic spheres)
- rivers
- staffs (walking sticks)
- Secondary Keywords
- associated concepts
- bodies of water
- bodies of water and components of bodies of water
- bodies of water by size
- buildings and the land
- descriptors
- equipment
- equipment by context
- equipment for personal use
- europe (continent)
- geographic and political locations
- gypsum
- information artifacts
- information artifacts by physical form
- information forms
- inorganic material
- landscapes (environments)
- materials
- materials by composition
- mineral
- natural landscapes
- objects we use
- people and culture
- religions
- religions and religious concepts
- riverine bodies
- settlements and landscapes
- tools and equipment
- united kingdom (nation)
- walking sticks
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 765 x 1395
- File Size
- 105 KB
- Record
- 1961/1.178
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1961-sl-1.178/1961_1.178.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1961-SL-1.178:1961_1.178.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"St. Christopher carrying the Christ Child; Artist Unknown, England." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1961-sl-1.178/1961_1.178.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 26, 2024.