Carl Spitzweg (1808-1885) was a German painter noted for his landscapes and scenes form German life. He had been a pharmacist and a newspaper illustrator before taking up fine art. He became very popular as a painter. He did a number Catholic-themed paintings like this, of which we hope to add more, similarly lovely and calm, with outdoorsy touches.
Many of his paintings are of monks and hermits. Usually they are alone, reading books or in prayer. They are usually romantic, in the artistic sense, and idealized. This one here strikes us as both meditative and true-to-life, as the two monks, in their serene and beautiful setting, are differing on some element of a text. The cross looms on the rock behind them. We can disagree in the unity of Christian love. We hope this painting provides a serene and beautiful meditation for your lively mind. (source: britannica.com) Oil on canvas.
** IMPORTANT ** THE IMAGE IS SMALLER THAN THE PAPER! There is a blank border around the image. Approximately 0.5" wide for 5x7, 1.3" for 8.5x11, 1.6" for 11x14, and 1.75" for 13x17 and 16x20. For the two poster sizes, 18x24 and 24x36, we use 0.5" borders. We do this because the ratio of the rectangle of the art almost never matches the rectangle of the paper, and if it did happen to match one size, it would not match the others. Most fine art printers do this because otherwise they’d have to crop the art or warp it to make it fit the paper. The border looks good. It gives the picture a faux matted appearance.
There is almost always a little more border either on the left-right sides, or the top-bottom, depending on whether the ratio of the art is wider or taller than the paper.
We make Archival Quality fine art prints:
– Acid-free paper
– Archival pigments
– Cardboard backer for sizes 11x14 and less.
– Above story of the art
– Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal-clear bag.
– Rated to last 200 years without fading if kept dry and out of the direct sun.
Thanks for your interest!
JMJ
Sue & John
Saint Mary's Parish,
Lincoln, Nebraska
“In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art.”
~ St. Pope John Paul II
Original image is out-of-copyright. Descriptive text and any image alterations (hence the whole new image) © by Sue Kouma Johnson – Classic Catholic Art.
