LOMBARD SCHOOL (16TH CENTURY)

Oil on panel. Prior to his beatification, Christopher was, according to legend, a man of great stature who wanted to serve only the greatest of the rulers. He first served secular kings, then decided that the most powerful was the devil. However, he feared the devil, and the sign of the cross. He decided therefore to find the person to whom the sign belonged. On the advice of a hermit, he began to serve Christ by carrying pilgrims across a swollen river. One day a little boy asked him for help. He settled the boy on his shoulders and stepped into the water, but the child seemed to get heavier and heavier, and only with great effort did the man cross the river. Christ introduced himself and told him that he was carrying with him all the weight of the world. The giant did not believe him and demanded proof, whereupon his stick turned green and blossomed. Jesus baptised the giant and gave him the name Christophoros (one who carries Christ). St Roch came from Montpelier. After the death of his parents, he distributed all his inherited property to the poor and made a pilgrimage to Rome. With love he helped those in need, and even battled the plague. Reportedly the sign of the cross healed those who were infected. He himself fell ill and had unsightly sores on his leg. He retired into seclusion and is usually depicted with an angel whom God had sent to take care of him, and sometimes with a faithful dog who brought him bread, helping him to survive.