La rivière est le support de quelques scènes classiques, la découverte de Moïse, le baptême de la foule par Jean, puis du Christ, qui traverse un autre jour avec saint Christophe.
Rivière, longeant villes et monuments, ruines même, couverte de patineurs ou de bateaux, ou fleuve avec des navires à l’estuaire. Et surtout support de paysages avec l’ouverture qu’elle apporte sur le lointain.
Enfin compagne de la vie rustique avec l’abreuvoir et le gué, complice d’amours et de fêtes.
– Giulio Romano, River Landscape with Springs, 1526-28, Fresco, Sala di Psiche, Palazzo del Tè, Mantua
– Rosa, Salvator, River Landscape with Apollo and the Cumean Sibyl, c. 1655, Oil on canvas, 174 x 259 cm, Wallace Collection, London
– More, Jacob, Rape of Deianera, Oil on canvas laid on board, oval, 104 x 139 cm, Private collection
– Patenier, Joachim, Crossing the River Styx, 1515-24, Oil on panel, 64 x 103 cm, Museo del Prado, Madrid
– Cranach, Lucas the Younger, Nymph of the Spring, 1545-50, Oil on beech panel, 15 x 20 cm, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Fontis nympha sacri somnum nerumpe quiesco.
– Veronese, Paolo, The Finding of Moses, c. 1580, Oil on canvas, 50 x 30 cm, Museo del Prado, Madrid
– Coninxloo, Gillis van, Mountain Landscape with River Valley and the Prophet Hosea, Watercolour on parchment, 195 x 287 mm, Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp
– Carracci, Annibale, The Flight into Egypt, 1603, Oil on canvas, 122 x 230 cm, Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Rome
– Vos, Marten de, Return from the Flight to Egypt, Oil on copper, 13 x 10 cm, Private collection
– Patenier, Joachim, Landscape with St John the Baptist Preaching, Oak, 36,5 x 45 cm, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels
– Bening, Simon, Beatty Rosary, c. 1530, Manuscript (W. 99), 124 x 84 mm, Chester Beatty Library, Dublin
– Ghirlandaio, Domenico, Calling of the Apostles, 1481, Fresco, 349 x 570 cm, Cappella Sistina, Vatican
Curieuse apparition du dieu du fleuve Jourdain avec sa jarre lors du baptême du Christ :
– Unknown Goldsmith, Italian, The Baptism of Christ, 13th century, Enamel, Basilica di San Marco, Venice
– Wals, Goffredo, Landscape with Christ and St Peter, 1625-38, Oil on copper, diameter 28,5 cm, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
– Poussin, Nicolas, Landscape with St Matthew and the Angel, c. 1645, Oil on canvas, 99 x 135 cm, Staatliche Museen, Berlin
– Bosch, Hieronymus, St John the Evangelist on Patmos, 1504-05, Oil on oak panel, 63 x 43,3 cm, Staatliche Museen, Berlin
– Weyden, Rogier van der, St Luke Drawing the Portrait of the Madonna, Oil on oak panel, 133 x 107 cmGroeninge Museum, Bruges
– Memling, Hans, Triptych of the Family Moreel (central panel), 1484, Oil on wood, 141 x 174 cm, Groeninge Museum, Bruges
– Mostaert, Jan, Hilly River Landscape with St Christopher, Oil on wood, 108 x 142,2 cm, Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp
– Patenier, Joachim, St Christopher Bearing the Christ Child, Oil on panel, 48 x 59,5 cm, Rockox House, Antwerp