Artwork
Saint Christopher Carrying the Infant Christ
Saint Christopher Carrying the Infant Christ is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Giovanni Battista Piazzetta. It dates from 1730 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The image thus conveys themes of faith, protection, and the carrying of spiritual weight.
The painting shows the legendary moment of Saint Christopher bearing the infant Christ across a river, a common Counter‑Reformation devotional subject that emphasizes the saint’s role as protector of travelers. In the work, Christopher is rendered as a massive, muscular figure supporting the infant Christ, who holds a globular fruit that alludes to the world’s burden; the infant’s gesture of blessing underscores divine favor. Executed in oil on canvas in 1730 by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, the composition uses dramatic lighting to heighten the spiritual intensity, reflecting the era’s focus on tangible divine presence. The image thus conveys themes of faith, protection, and the carrying of spiritual weight.
Technique & Style
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta executed Saint Christopher Carrying the Infant Christ in 1730 using oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 71.8 cm in height and 56.2 cm in width. As a religious painting, it depicts the titular saint carrying the Christ child.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art currently houses the piece, which exemplifies the artist's handling of oil media on canvas during the early eighteenth century. The physical dimensions and material composition define its formal presence within the collection.
History & Provenance
The painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Its accession number is 1975.1.78. The work has been exhibited at the museum in the context of its European Paintings collection, though specific exhibition records were not detailed in the cited sources.
Context
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta's Saint Christopher Carrying the Infant Christ, executed in 1730, stands as a significant example of his religious output during the mid-18th century. The work, an oil painting on canvas, depicts the traditional iconography of Saint Christopher bearing the Christ Child, a subject central to Piazzetta's exploration of devotional themes. Currently housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the piece measures 71.8 by 56.2 centimeters.
As a product of Piazzetta's mature period, the painting reflects the artist's role within the Venetian school, bridging the gap between the late Baroque and the emerging Rococo sensibilities through its handling of light and form. Its presence in a major public institution underscores its recognized status within the canon of 18th-century Italian religious art.
Overview
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta's oil painting, Saint Christopher Carrying the Infant Christ, dates to 1730. This religious work illustrates the apocryphal narrative of the saint transporting the Christ Child across a treacherous river. The composition, now housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, highlights the profound encounter between the powerful saint and the seemingly light, yet spiritually weighty, infant.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta was an Italian Rococo painter of religious subjects and genre scenes.
