Artwork
Saint Christopher Carrying the Christ Child
Saint Christopher Carrying the Christ Child is a drawing by the Renaissance artist Limbourg Brothers. It dates from 1409 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created around 1409, this small-scale work on vellum depicts the legendary Saint Christopher bearing the infant Jesus across a river.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:verso, in black letter Gothic calligraphy, the following suffrage: [1] Martir xp[ist]ofore, pro salvatoris honore, fac / nos fore dignos deitatis amore promisso xp[ist]i / quiaquid petit obtinuisti: da famulo tuo. D. / tristi bona q:[ue] moriendo petisti cunctis solamê[n], / fermentis tolle gravamen iudicis examen / mirte sic omnibus amen, Ora pro nob[is] / beate xristofore, Ut digni efficiamur / promissionibus xristi, Oremus. / Omnipotens sempiterne deus qui / famulo tuo beato xristoforo mar / tiri tuo quod pre pecut ante martyrium / suum impetrare concessisti supplicanti / et dicenti ut inquocumq:[ue] loco posuerit / corpus meum aut ubi fuerint reliquie / mee, uel ubi memoria mea recitata fue / rint non ingrediatur ira, fames nec / ignis grando nec morbus ullus pecudu[m] / nec interitus populi: presta quesumus / ut familiam congregatam pecudes meri [Martyr Christopher, for the Saviour's honour, make us to be worthy by the love of God, promised by Christ. whatever is asked you've obtained: give to your servant, Lord, good to the sorrowful: by dying you sought consolation for all, lift the burden of inner unrest, the trial of the Judge by death thus for all Amen. Pray for us, blessed Christopher, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ, Let us pray. Almighty everlasting God who to your servant, the blessed Christopher, your martyr, what he requested before his martyrdom you granted to obtain, while supplicating and saying: that in whateve place he may have placed my body, or where my relics may have been, or where my memory has been revealed, may wrath, famine not enter, nor fire, nor hail, nor disease, nor avenging plague, nor destruction of the people: grant, we beseech you, that the congregated family may deserve...] [1] Transcription and translation by David de Bruijn Kops with assitance from Anneke Hoekstra and Carmen Louwe, published in De Bruijn Kops, 2025, p. 241.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1409, this small-scale work on vellum depicts the legendary Saint Christopher bearing the infant Jesus across a river. Executed by the renowned Limbourg Brothers, the piece exemplifies the devotional miniatures produced for private contemplation during the early 15th century.
Subject & Meaning
The image illustrates the popular medieval motif of Saint Christopher, the patron of travelers, supporting the Christ child, a symbolic representation of bearing the weight of salvation. The composition emphasizes humility and service, core virtues promoted by the Church in the period.
Technique & Style
Rendered as a delicate drawing on vellum, the work showcases the Limbourg Brothers’ precise line work and subtle shading. Their characteristic attention to detail and graceful figures reflect the International Gothic style, with elegant drapery and a refined, intimate atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Attributed to the collaborative workshop of the Limbourg Brothers, the miniature likely originated as part of a devotional book or personal altar object. Its survival on vellum indicates careful preservation, though specific ownership records prior to modern collection remain undocumented.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
The Limbourg brothers were Dutch miniature painters from the city of Nijmegen. They were active in the early 15th century in France and Burgundy, working in the International Gothic style.
