St. John Paul the Great Holding a Puppy
Anonymous Photographer

On some summer day sometime in the 1950s, our friend and great Saint John Paul II, then Father Karol Wojtyła, was holding a puppy in what looks like a park. We love how strong and gentle he looks. Yet even relaxed, there is a firmness to his gaze. This is one of our favorite photos ever of the great man, mostly because we can see so plainly his kindness. Some have suggested that because the puppy looks kind of like a lamb, we can imagine him helping shepherd little lambs. This picture is so cheerful. It makes us happy, and we wanted to share it with you.

A note on copyright: We are diligent to present only works we are confident are in the public domain. Copyrights are created by the laws of governments. Prior to 1992 there was little cooperation between the old Soviet block and the governments of the West. Let alone American non-recognition of many Soviet-era copyrights, under Article 2 of the 1952 communist Polish copyright law, the original photo has been in the public domain for decades. Our restoration work is copyrighted; thus, the entire new image we present here is copyrighted.

We think this print looks fantastic in a black frame, but any frame could work, depending on your décor.

– 8.5 x 11" or 11x14" 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.

** IMPORTANT ** There is about an inch-and-a-third to one-and-a-half inch of white space around the picture, so the image is smaller than the paper.

Want it framed? Please select which frame you would like above, under "Size & Framing".

You might also be interested in original Catholic art and jewelry by me, Sue Kouma Johnson, available all over this shop! Thanks!