Saint Christopher and the Infant Christ

The giant Saint Christopher wades through the water with the infant Christ on his shoulder, the Christ child’s hand raised in blessing as the saint leans on a flowering staff. Domenico Ghirlandaio, the master who taught Michelangelo, painted this monumental fresco for a Florentine church, and it survives as a rare full-scale survivor of his public work. The rocky bank, the rippling water and the towering saint make the legend feel both grand and homely.