Victorian Christmas Greeting Card with Madonna and Child
Text on Card
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS He came down to Earth from Heaven, Who is God and Lord of all And his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall.
Description
Deep blues and soft pinks saturate this exquisite vintage Christmas greeting card, presenting a tender religious scene featuring the Virgin Mary cradling the Christ Child. The Madonna wears flowing robes of blue and pink, with a veil, while the infant Jesus lies awake in her arms wrapped in white cloth. A circular halo surrounds her head. A potted flowering tree stands beside the figures, and a shooting star crowns the composition, symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem. A wooden bucket sits at the base of the tree. The accompanying verse celebrates the Nativity: "He came down to Earth from Heaven, Who is God and Lord of all; And his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall."
Subjects
Madonna and Child, Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, Nativity, religious iconography, flowering tree, Star of Bethlehem, halo
Printing Notes
Hand-colored chromolithographic printing with embossed details; artist monogram 'H.C.P.' visible in lower left corner
