Saint Christopher

This piece was one of the few artworks to survive from the fires in the Ducal palace [1]. While in its current form the edges are slightly withered, the fresco remains largely intact. The image was originally commissioned by the Holy Church, and is now located adjacent to one of the staircases in the palace where it has remained on display [2]. The central figure of the image is Saint Christopher, and on his shoulders rests a depiction of Christ as a child. This imagery alludes not only to Christopher's mission to serve Christ for all his time and advance the faith but also as a comparison to Venice’s protection of its people [3]. It establishes a sense of power that Venice can fend off any intruders.

Saint Christopher has strong and well defined legs. His calves and arms are linear and his muscles bulge out of his skin. A red piece of clothing hands loosely from his body and is painted with movement from the wind. Only three fourths of his face is fully visible but he is looking directly at the child on his shoulders with an expression of concern. While Saint Christopher’s lower body is very dark, his facial area as well as Christ have a very light skin tone, drawing the attention of the viewer. In the background on the bottom left the viewer can see an outline of the city of Venice, most notably the clock tower at the piazza San Marco standing tall. The bottom right of the image contains a mountainous landscape which mimics the mainland region surrounding Venice. Lastly, Saint Christopher is drastically out of proportion, appearing several factors larger than the buildings and mountains in the background. This partially removes his humanity and positions him as part of the divine.

[1] “Saint Christopher,” Titian, Titian.net, accessed September 15, 2020, http://www.titian.net/saint-christopher/.
[2] “SPECIAL ITINERARIES: The Doge's Hidden Treasures,” Palazzo Ducale, Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, accessed September 15, 2020, https://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/the-museum/layout-and-collections/the-doges-hidden-treasures-itinerary/. 
[3] “Saint Christopher Painting by Tiziano Vecellio (Titian): Painting Analysis,” 1st Art Gallery, 1st-Art-Gallery.com, accessed September 15, 2020, https://www.1st-art-gallery.com/Tiziano-Vecellio-Titian/Saint-Christopher.html.

Tiziano Vecelli (Titian)

“Saint Christopher Painting by Tiziano Vecellio (Titian): Painting Analysis.” 1st Art Gallery. 1st-Art-Gallery.com. Accessed September 15, 2020. https://www.1st-art-gallery.com/Tiziano-Vecellio-Titian/Saint-Christopher.html.

“Saint Christopher.” Titian. Titian.net. Accessed September 15, 2020. http://www.titian.net/saint-christopher/.

“SPECIAL ITINERARIES: The Doge's Hidden Treasures.” Palazzo Ducale. Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. Accessed September 15, 2020. https://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/the-museum/layout-and-collections/the-doges-hidden-treasures-itinerary/.

“St. Christopher - Tiziano Vecellio.” Google Arts & Culture. Google Arts & Culture. Accessed September 15, 2020. https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/st-christopher/VAGqjshVAC1lhw?hl=en.

Image Source: “Saint Christopher.” Web Gallery of Art. Web Gallery of Art, n.d. Palazzo Ducale. Palazzo Ducale. https://www.wga.hu/html_m/t/tiziano/02_1520s/4christo.html.

Commissioned by the Holy Church Vecelli, Tiziano.

Image Source: “Saint Christopher.” Web Gallery of Art. Web Gallery of Art, n.d. Palazzo Ducale. Palazzo Ducale. https://www.wga.hu/html_m/t/tiziano/02_1520s/4christo.html.

1524

Jackson Huether

Image Source: “Saint Christopher.” Web Gallery of Art. Web Gallery of Art, n.d. Palazzo Ducale. Palazzo Ducale. https://www.wga.hu/html_m/t/tiziano/02_1520s/4christo.html.

Fresco, 310.0 x 186.0 cm

Painting (Fresco)

Palazzo Ducale, Venice, Italy