This lovely Madonna and Child was done by French artist Adolphe Jourdan (1825-1889), who became famous in Europe and America for painting domestic scenes, especially of motherhood. He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Paris (École des Beaux-Arts), and soon was exhibiting in the Salons and winning medals. Although he was an old school "Academic" painter (realistic figures done with highly formal style), he was admired by the Post-Impressionists of a later generation, becoming good friends with Paul Gauguin and cited by van Gogh as one of his favorite painters. (source: www.theknohlcollection.com)
The original hangs at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum in Scotland. It was painted in 1867, oil on canvas, 27x19 inches. The photo of it they post is darker than this one; we're not sure if this is a different version by Jourdan or what. He made a lot of money doing copies of older masterpieces, so it's quite possible he put out numerous copies of this, as painters often did in those days. We're just guessing. The composition is exactly the same, and we liked the warmer, prettier colors of this version. Baby Jesus is munching on some grapes, which is a sublte reference to the Eucharist.
** IMPORTANT ** THE IMAGE IS SMALLER THAN THE PAPER! There is a white border of about 0.5" inch for 5x7", 1.3" for 8.5x11", or 1.6" for 11x14" pictures. All Approx! Fine art printers do this because the images are almost never the same rectangular ratio of the standard paper sizes. It also gives the prints a finished look, and lets them look good in a frame without a matt.
*POSTERS ARE PRINTED WITH SMALL BORDER* This is to preserve the dimensions of the original artwork.
- Acid-free paper - Archival pigments, rated to last for generations. - Cardboard backer - Above story of the art - Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal clear bag.
Thanks for your interest!
Thanks! Sue & John
You might also enjoy original Catholic Art and Jewerly by me, Sue Kouma Johnson, here on Etsy at www.Etsy.com/shop/TreeOfHeaven Also, check out our Catholic Quote shop, where we are pairing authentic quotes from Saints with Art: www.Etsy.com/shop/CatholicQuote
"In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art." ~ St. Pope John Paul II
