Herri met de Bles

Landscape with Saint Christopher

1535 - 1545
old masters

Herri met de Bles depicts Saint Christopher with the Christ child on his shoulder in a mountainous landscape. The figures of the saint and the child are borrowed from an engraving by Dürer from 1521. The painting is richly decorated with figures, buildings, and ships. Details such as the stranded fish and the hermit with the lantern on the left catch the eye. This figure, who is also borrowed from Dürer, indicates the route. His lit lantern shows that Christopher's crossing took place at night.