St Christopher

Cranach depicts St Christopher in a mountainous landscape with a broad river that creates great pictorial depth. His face clearly expresses the extreme effort required to transport the infant Christ across the river. A hermit stands with a lantern on the shore in the background on the right.

The block was initially dated 1506, cut into the line block, but this date was later removed, corresponding with the second state. Competition between Cranach and his contemporaries led to the development of the chiaroscuro woodcut, a tonal block, which simulated highlights by leaving the unprinted areas of the paper white. This may have prompted Cranach to deliberately antedate the first state by two years. Further evidence also casts doubt on the date. Cranach was not entitled to use the coat of arms with a serpent, illustrated on this print, until 1508 when it was granted to him by Elector Friedrich. In fact, it is not visible on any other print before 1509. Cranach probably learnt of the advances made in Augsburg with regards to chiaroscuro woodcuts soon after his return from the Netherlands in 1508, and counteracted by producing his own versions, the 'St Christopher' and 'Venus' woodcuts c. 1509.

A comparison of Cranach's woodcut and the engraving by Master IAM of Zwolle (Lehrs VII.204.16), dated around 1490, in Harbison's catalogue (Princeton (1969) figs. 69 and 70) reveals surprising similarities that were clearly not intended by the author and are not commented on. The composition of the figure, with his left leg stepping forward, his left arm drawn back and the position of his head, is mirrored almost exactly in the engraving, and may therefore have been the source for Cranach's design. A closer look reveals that the saint’s wide stride and the left arm, which holds the staff, but does not lean on it, is better suited to the composition of the engraving: the infant ‘miles christianus’ appears to pull on the reins with his arm drawn back, while bracing his outstretched leg against the stirrup. In fact, the proportions of the body, especially the head, which is extremely large in relation to the greatly foreshortened upper body, have been borrowed from the engraving. Similarities are also evident in the shape of the staff and the child's fluttering robe, although Cranach does show the saint's cloak falling in a long diagonal line, as if to calm the image.

Silver points out a close similarity between Cranach's woodcut and Altdorfer's work from 1513, stating that both emphasise the giant’s burden as well as the moment of revelation in the child's gesture of blessing. However, Cranach's depiction of the landscape appears less dominant than in Altdorfer's later representations (cf. also his engraving).

[Armin Kunz 2023]