Kriegsverlust Dürer

A muscular man leans heavily on a wooden staff as he wades through turbulent water, bearing a small child on his shoulders. The child grips the man's hair and raises a hand in blessing, while a massive cloak billows behind them in the wind. On the rocky bank to the left, a small hermit figure holds a lantern aloft to guide their crossing.

The legend of the 'Christ-bearer' crossing treacherous waters was sometimes interpreted in later alchemical traditions as an allegory for the difficult transition through the mercurial stage of the Great Work. Dürer’s focus on the physical weight and elemental force reflects the Renaissance intersection of sacred narrative and the observation of natural philosophy.