The first time we saw this beautiful picture, we had to stop and stare. We learned the scene is from a legend of St. Brigid (St. Brid or Bride in the original Irish), that she was carried by angels across the seas and the centuries from medieval Ireland to Bethlehem in Judea, so she could be present at the birth of Jesus. The story goes on that Brigid became Jesus's foster mother, and that she served as Mary's mid-wife and helped hide Jesus from Herod. Such was the faith of the Irish that Brigid was regarded just below Mary. She is revered next to Patrick as one of the great Irish Saints.

St. Brigid was born in Ireland about 457 AD, the daughter of a pagan father and a Christian mother. Throughout her life she was noted for her piety and her kindness to the poor. She founded a monastery in Kildare which lasted for 700 years until it was destroyed in the 12th Century. There are several medieval books of her life which collected oral traditions about her. She died about 525. Her feast day is February 1. Among other things, she is a patron Saint of babies.

John Duncan, a famous Scottish painter, composed this beautiful painting in 1913. It involves two of our favorite art styles, Pre-Raphaelite and Art Nouveau. The robes of the angels are decorated with the scenes from the life of Christ, and according to the Scottish National Gallery (which holds the piece), may include the artist's self-portrait as the tiny clown (a holy fool) accompanying the procession of the magi on the leading angel's gown.


** 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!
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.