Hail Mary Print

Saint Nicholas Bearer or The Gift to the Nations and Friend to the Poor	Matted size: 11 x 14 Mat color: Cream Price: $150.00 This museum print is a limited edition, archival print that is hand gilded with genuine 23k gold, signed by the artist and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Here, Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra is shown wearing the gold spun vestments of Christmas accented by red, symbolizing how he was a martyr to charity. He is wearing the precious miter which displays three stones that symbolize the three martyrdoms of Christmas: • Ruby, St. Stephen, Dec. 26th; martyrdom of will and fact. He desired martyrdom and was the first martyr of the Church. • Pearl, St. John the Divine, Dec. 27th; martyrdom of will. St. John lived a “white martyrdom”, that is he desired martyrdom but despite the attempts to kill him and being banned on the Island of Patmos he was the only one of the apostles to die a natural death. • Hematite, The Holy Innocents, Dec. 28th; martyrdom of fact.. They shed their blood and were martyred before the age of reason for Christ their new-born King.
As shepherd of the Church, Nicholas tends his flock, and carries the gold staff or crozier. In his hands he is holding the Gift to The Nations, the four Gospels. He is shown against a diapered background; The violet squares are the color of Advent. Nicholas is actually a Saint of Advent who’s feast day is December 6th. Advent is a penitential time or “mini-Lent” in preparation for Christmas. The Green squares are the color of regeneration and renewal that comes from the graces of Advent in preparation for the coming of The Light into the world symbolized by the gold squares. All around him are signs and symbols of Christmas and charitable giving and the miracles associated with him that come from his living out the Gospel message; •The Three Gold Balls a top the gospel book reference the gold he is said to have sold to purchase the three dowry's for the three sisters. The three gold balls have become the symbol of the Pawn Broker of which Nicholas is the patron Saint. • The Three Dowry's are the three bags of gold coins at the bottom of the miniature. In those days if a girl had no dowry- a sum of money to contribute to her intended husband-she could not marry into a respectable family. Normally either slavery or prostitution might be her only means of support. When Nicholas heard of their plight, he came sneaking up to the house after all were asleep and tossed sufficient dowry money through the windows so that the girls could each wait for a proper marriage. • The Miracle of the Wheat; In the bottom left is the Miracle of the Wheat; A drought had overtaken the country of Myra and the king would not part with a shipment of wheat coming from overseas, so Nicholas appeared to the captain of the ship in a dream guaranteeing him not only payment for the wheat but also that none of the wheat would be missed by the king. When the captain awoke the money was in his hands and the country was fed with the wheat until the drought lifted. • The Candy Cane; Forming a border around Nicholas is a candy cane. The candy cane was designed as a symbol of the True Christmas: The shape is that of a shepherds staff, representing the shepherds who were the first to hear of the birth of Christ the Good Shepherd. Turned upside down it is a “J” for Jesus. The candy was made hard as Christ is our rock. and refuge. The white symbolizes that he was born of a virgin, the stripes reference Isaiah’s, “by His stripes we are healed”; The wide red stripe symbolizing His Passion, the three small red stripes symbolize uniting our sufferings to His. The candy cane was flavored with Peppermint as it is said to be very close to the flavor of Hyssop. King David appealed to God’s mercy crying, purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me I and shall be whiter than snow. • In the lower right is gingerbread that Nicholas baked and gave to the poor.
St. Nicholas $150.00 Mat Options:
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Copyright 2009 Harvest Crittenden, Acorn Arts. All rights reserved. The works contained within these pages are original art and covered under copyright law. Reproduction in any form without expressed written permission is prohibited.