Our Lady of the Fruits of the Earth
Frank Cowper

In this gorgeous portrait of the Madonna and Child, Our Lady has the fruits of the world at her feet. She has the fruit of her womb, Jesus, on her lap. He is on the red part of her mantle, symbolizing the blood he was to shed for the world. That the red mantle surrounds Mary indicates her sharing in his suffering. She is seated on a throne for her Queenship, and she is in an enclosed garden, which traditionally symbolizes her virginity. The lambs beyond the fence are you and me, yearning for the Lamb of God, who will give his life for us and lead us to Heaven.

Even without the Christian narrative, this would be a lush, beautiful work of art simply on its own visual terms. It was painted by Frank Cadogan Cowper (1877-1958), who was called "The Last of the Pre-Raphaelites." He was a Royal Academy artist, one of the most famous English artists of his day. He did a lot of dreamy and romantic pictures, and later specialized in portraits of people, as his earlier religious and historical themes, the Pre-Raphael work, fell out of fashion. Of his many paintings admired today, this one, Our Lady of the Fruits of the Earth, has set the record for the highest price paid for any of his work, selling in 2011 for £469,250, about $750,000 today. Painted in 1917. Oil on canvas. 40 x 29 7/8 in. (sources: www.christies.com and www.wikipedia.com)

** 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.

- 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

"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 image alterations (hence the whole new image) © by Sue Kouma Johnson - CatholicArtAndJewelry.