De Heilige Christoffel draagt het Christuskind

The giant Christopher is shown from a low angle, emphasizing his physical exertion as he leans on a gnarled staff while wading through water. On his shoulders sits the infant Christ, who holds a globus cruciger and raises his hand in a gesture of benediction against a backdrop of swirling drapery. On the far shore, a small hermit figure holds a lantern, providing a narrative detail from the saint's legend as a guide for travelers.

While primarily a devotional image, the figure of the 'Christ-bearer' (Christophorus) was frequently interpreted in Renaissance natural philosophy as a metaphor for the weight of the created world and the individual's role in supporting the divine Logos. Dürer’s technical precision in woodcut influenced the visual language later adopted by alchemical and Hermetic engravers to depict the transition between material and spiritual realms.