We just love this painting. This monk’s hermitage does our heart good to imagine. The peace and quiet—and the beauty! If you look for the monk, you will find him in the cool of the shade, playing his fiddle. It reminds of us of people who break into song for the glory of God. This is our newest favorite in our collection.
Carl Spitzweg (1808-1885) was a popular German painter noted for his scenes and landscapes. A pharmacist and self-taught painter, he devoted himself entirely to his art after an inheritance from his father made him financially independent. He had a meticulous painting style with light-hearted, even cheerful subject matter, and sometimes he tucked humor into his pictures. (source: www.mam.org)
He did a number Catholic-themed paintings like this, all lovely and calm, with outdoorsy touches. We offer several in our shop, and hope to offer a few more. Spitzweg painted this scene circa 1856/1858. Original is oil on canvas. (17.3 x 13.5 inches) German title: Musizierender Einsiedler vor seiner Felsenklause. Housed in the Museum Georg Schäfer, Germany.
** 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
Lincoln, Nebraska
You might also enjoy original Catholic Art and Jewelry 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
Original image is out-of-copyright. Descriptive text and any image alterations (hence the whole new image) © by Sue Kouma Johnson – Classic Catholic Art.
