- Museum number
- 1895,0122.363
- Description
-
St Christopher carrying the Christ Child next to a big tree. 1513
Woodcut
- Production date
- 1513
- Dimensions
-
Height: 172 millimetres
-
Width: 126 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- See G. Bartrum, 'German Renaissance Prints', exh. cat. BM 1995, no. 191. See M. McDonald, 'Ferdinand Columbus: Renaissance Collector', London, 2004-5, n.69.
Text from Bartrum 1995
Literature: Bartsch, 53; C. Dodgson, II, p.229, 55; Hollstein, 56; Winzinger, 24
Altdorfer has reduced the amount of hatching normally seen in his woodcuts to a minimum, restricting it to the areas of deepest shade, so that the outlines of the woodcut are firmly emphasised. Like Baldung's 'St Christopher' of c.1511 (1895,0122.227), it is conceivable that it was designed with a tone block in mind, so that parts of the sheet were left intentionally blank to receive the coloured areas. But no such colour print is known, and the small size of this woodcut would seem to argue against this idea; colour prints of the period, such as Altdorfer's 'Beautiful Virgin' of Regensburg (1909,0612.3), were usually of larger dimensions. It is possible that Altdorfer was attempting to reproduce the outline effect of a pen drawing or an etching in the medium of woodcut with not altogether successful results, in much the same way as he aspired to mimic the effects of small, finely detailed engravings in his accomplished woodcut series of the 'Fall and Redemption of Man' (1837,0616.225-226; 1845,0809.1191-1192; 1837,0616.229; 1845,0809.1194; 1837,0616.231 and 1845,0809.1196).
A number of late impressions, the most recent being in 1922 and 1963, have been taken from the block, which is in the Kupferstichkabinett, Berlin.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1995 Jun-Oct, BM, 'German Renaissance Prints, 1490-1550', no.191
1996 Jun-Aug, Canterbury, Royal Mus and AG, German Renaissance Prints
1996 Nov-Dec, Edinburgh, NG of Scotland, German Renaissance Prints
1997 Jan-Mar, Cardiff, Nat Mus of Wales, German Renaissance Prints
1997 Apr-May, Llandudno, Oriel Mostyn Gallery, German Renaissance Prints
1997 Oct-Dec, Norwich, Sainsbury Centre, German Renaissance Prints
2004 Jun-July, Madrid, 'LaCaixa', Ferdinand Columbus
2004 Oct-Dec, Seville, Salon Alto del Apeadero, Ferdinand Columbus
- Acquisition date
- 1895
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1895,0122.363
