Object details
Object number
S28w2
Creator(s)
Italian, Venice
Title
Saint Christopher
Date
about 1400
Medium
Gilded lindenwood
Dimensions
58.5 cm (23 1/16 in.)
Provenance
Purchased by Isabella Stewart Gardner from the antique dealer Dino Barozzi, Venice for 63 lire on 20 September 1899.
Commentary
In Christian religions, Saint Christopher—the patron saint and protector of travelers—carried the Christ Child across a treacherous river on his shoulders.
This gilded lindenwood statue of Saint Christopher and the Christ Child is situated in the Chapel, tucked away in a choir stall. This sculpture of a saint is one of many placed in this area, which still functions as an active sacred space with a consecrated altar.
Bibliography
Cornelius C. Vermeule III et al. Sculpture in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 1977), p. 71, no. 99.
Kathleen King, "Saint Christopher: World's Best Travel Companion," Inside the Collection (blog), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 21 February 2023, https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/saint-christopher-worlds-best-travel-companion
Gallery
Chapel
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