New! A Thanks Offering – Frank William Warwick Topham - Beautiful Catholic Art – Catholic Gift

For us, the baby is the star of this show, as babies so often are. The baby looks as beautiful and believable now as he or she did back in 1884 when the picture was painted. We have a mother, grateful for something, perhaps the health of her child, and she's gone to the church to give thanks to God and to give him flowers of thanksgiving. The baby is contentedly at work with the rest of the flowers. It's perfect.

Frank William Warwick Topham (1838-1924) was the son of one of the great English watercolorists, and he became one himself. He had a strong talent which was encouraged and educated starting in an early age. He and his father enjoyed working together for many years, traveling Europe and selling their paintings in London. The son did as well as the father. He had over 60 paintings shown in the Royal Academy over the course of the years, and at many other notable salons and galleries.

He painted a wide range of subjects and genres, in watercolors and oils. This picture was a watercolor, 35 x 24.5cm. Painted in 1884. The auction house that handled it called it "Morning Prayer," but I think they just made that up as elsewhere we have seen it with the title "Thanks Offering" which seems more likely to us.

** IMPORTANT ** THE IMAGE IS SMALLER THAN THE PAPER! There is a blank border around the image. Approximately 0.5" wide for 5x7, 1.3" for 8.5x11, 1.6" for 11x14, and 1.75" for 13x17 and 16x20. For the two poster sizes, 18x24 and 24x36, we use 0.5" borders. We do this because the ratio of the rectangle of the art almost never matches the rectangle of the paper, and if it did happen to match one size, it would not match the others. Most fine art printers do this because otherwise they’d have to crop the art or warp it to make it fit the paper. The border looks good. It gives the picture a faux matted appearance.

There is almost always a little more border either on the left-right sides, or the top-bottom, depending on whether the ratio of the art is wider or taller than the paper.

We make Archival Quality fine art prints:

– Acid-free paper

– Archival pigments

– Cardboard backer for sizes 11x14 and less.

– Above story of the art

– Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal-clear bag.

– Rated to last 200+ years without fading if kept dry and out of the direct sun.

Thanks for your interest!

+JMJ+

Sue & John

Lincoln, Nebraska

You might also enjoy original Catholic Art and Jewelry by me, Sue Kouma Johnson, here on Etsy at www.Etsy.com/shop/TreeOfHeaven

Also, check out our Catholic Quote shop, where we are pairing authentic quotes from Saints with Art: www.Etsy.com/shop/CatholicQuote

“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 any image alterations (hence the whole new image) © by Sue Kouma Johnson – Classic Catholic Art.