Saint Christopher with the Christ Child, Spain, late 16th – early 17th C Polychromed and partially gilded wood.

Description The sculpture represents Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child upon his left shoulder. In his right hand, the saint holds a palm tree, an iconographic variation on the traditional staff. The Child raises his right hand above the saint’s head in a gesture of blessing. The figures are animated and expressive, with vigorous modeling and richly applied polychromy and gilding.

Material and Technique
The work is executed in wood, most likely chestnut or walnut, as indicated by the visible grain and tonal qualities. The surface is prepared with gesso and polychrome layers, enriched with areas of gilding. These techniques are characteristic of the Hispanic sculptural tradition (imaginería) of this period, in which the collaboration between sculptor and painter-gilder (pintor-dorador) was central to achieving lifelike effects.

Stylistic and Comparative Analysis The exuberant coloration and expressive physiognomies suggest an origin in the southern Iberian Peninsula, most probably in Andalusia. The iconography of the palm tree, replacing the saint’s usual staff, is a noteworthy departure from standard depictions.

The composition and treatment of the subject invite comparison with the renowned San Cristóbal con el Niño Jesús by Juan Martínez Montañés (Alcalá la Real, 1568 – Seville, 1649), completed in 1597. Montañés’s sculpture, carved in wood and measuring 2.2 meters in height, is preserved in the Church of the Divine Savior (Iglesia Colegial del Divino Salvador) in Seville. It represents Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child across a river, leaning upon a staff fashioned as a palm tree. The close iconographic and stylistic parallels suggest that the present sculpture was created in emulation of this influential prototype.

Attribution and Context While direct authorship by Juan Martínez Montañés cannot be asserted, the present work may be situated within his immediate artistic circle. Its stylistic features and technical execution indicate either a workshop production under his supervision or an independant work by a sculptor trained in his orbit. The sculpture likely reflects the dissemination of Montañés’s model through commissions and reproductions that spread his Sevillian aesthetic across the Iberian world.

Provenance Formerly in a private collection, Belgium.

Bibliographic Reference
Cf. Juan Martínez Montañés, San Cristóbal con el Niño Jesús, 1597, Iglesia Colegial del Divino Salvador, Seville.