Bidspirit auction | Attributed to Diego Quispe Tito

Attributed to Diego Quispe Tito (Cuzco, Peru, 1611–1681) – Saint Christopher and the Christ Child. - Oil on canvas, 167 x 98 cm. This is a large-scale work depicting the Christological scene of Saint Christopher and the Christ Child, capturing the moment when the saint helps the Child cross the river by carrying him on his shoulders. The Christ Child is illuminated by his halo and notable for his long hair, a feature that matches the iconographic type of the Christ Child seen in the work The Rest on the Flight into Egypt by the same artist, located in the Parish Church of San Sebastián in Peru. Saint Christopher is portrayed wearing simple, worn garments, true to his traditional iconography as the humble bearer of Christ. In the background, a cave can be seen. Both the morphology of the figures and the pictorial preparation and treatment of the canvas reflect typical characteristics of Cuzco school painting. The handling of the water is especially remarkable, with its transparency and subtle glazing reminiscent of the solutions employed by the artist in other versions of Saint Christopher, such as the one preserved in the cathedral of Peru. The work is attributed to Diego Quispe Tito (Cuzco, 1611–1681), based on all the reasons mentioned above and the long list of similarities to other autograph works by this artist.