Saint Christopher 

Curator: Before us is a drawing titled "Saint Christopher," currently held in the Städel Museum collection. While the artwork's date remains unspecified, it is attributed to Hans Fries. Initially, what strikes you most about its visual presentation? Editor: The monochrome palette creates a subdued, almost dreamlike quality. The entire composition, rendered in shades of brown, evokes a feeling of antiquity, a world seen through sepia-toned glasses. How might the choice of this limited palette impact the reading of the work? Curator: It compels us to consider the symbolic weight carried by representations of Saint Christopher throughout history. Depictions of Christopher experienced peaks in popularity during times of plague, reflecting his role as a protector against sudden death, especially since safe travel in the Renaissance period was always fraught with the risk of contagion. Notice the Christ Child perched upon Christopher's shoulders. The artist subtly depicts not just the physical weight but the spiritual burden alluded to by Christopher himself later. Editor: Observe the linear precision, especially around Saint Christopher’s face. Note the use of shading to render mass in the body and in the drapery that hangs off the subject’s shoulders. How might that focus on line and tone relate to contemporary trends in Northern Renaissance art? Curator: This drawing underscores a preoccupation with both naturalistic observation and linear precision, common traits among Northern Renaissance artists such as Dürer. Fries seems to draw heavily on traditional allegories to make the statement: that any human can, and often does, carry Christ and by extension Christianity, or at the very least is always being guided and aided by it. What appears to be a treacherous path also has the aid of houses, of community, within reach in the background. Editor: The rough medium contributes to a mood of unrefined purity, a visual humbleness echoed in the saint's task and, further, the simple line that delineates most of the objects within view. The artist creates an engaging, moving visual story with rudimentary supplies. Curator: Precisely. Fries adeptly communicates a sense of arduous faith and humble servitude with seemingly simple visual devices. Editor: Yes, I agree; in the end, both the materials and the composition coalesce to form a remarkably affecting artwork.