St Christopher carrying the Christ Child

after Orazio Borgianni (c.1578-1616). Oil painting on alabaster with a slate back, St Christopher Carrying the Christ-Child, after Orazio Borgianni (c.1578-1616). St Christopher is seen advancing through the river (represented by the naked alabaster) with his right foot in the water and left foot on the bank, turning his head back to look at the Christ Child on his shoulder. He grips a long staff in his left hand, whilst his right hand clasps the white drapery gathered at his waist. He wears red trews, and has slipped a blue jerkin off down to his waist. This is a copy of a popular composition by Borgianni, of which the prime version appears to be the one on canvas (39 x 29 ins.) in the National Gallery of Scotland, which also owns one of the many copies of it, and another version of which, of apparently equal quality, belonged to Hermann Voss before World War II (cf. Alfonso Perez Sanchez's entry on the original, in the exhibition catalogue The Age of Caravaggio, The Met. and Capodimonte, 1985, no.21). The small differences from the Edinburgh picture, especially in St Christopher's dress, suggest that the Scotney reduced copy may, rather, be after the lost version that once belonged to Dr Voss, or that it is after the engraving that Borgianni dedicated to one of his main Spanish Ambassador in Rome between 1609 and 1616. It is doubtful whether this copy will ever be attributable to a particular hand. The old attribution to Jacques Stella is doubtless owed to the fact that, when in Italy, he was known for his ability to paint on various stones and marbles. Scotney Castle, Kent (Accredited Museum)