New! Tridentine Vestments – by Bibliographisches Institut 1893 – Catholic Art

We thought these old Tridentine vestments were beautiful, and it would be fun – and educational! – to share them with you. These are still used in some places, including more conservative orders. Besides being gorgeous, they are full of symbolism.

The priest on the left is dressed for celebrating the Mass. Each article has a symbolic meaning, but here's just a couple examples: His richly decorated purple chasuble traditionally signifies penance, repentance, and preparation, especially during Lent and Advent. Floral embroidery suggests spiritual beauty, Christian virtues, and can be suggestive of paradise.

The priest on the right is dressed for preaching and administering the sacraments. He actually looks pretty similar to what our priests wear these days at Sunday Mass in Lincoln. He's wearing a black cassock, a white lace-trimmed surplice, an embroidered stole, a biretta, and what appears to be a short black shoulder cape.

According to Google's Gemini, this color plate was printed in 1893 by Bibliographisches Institut in Leipzig, Germany. It is an original color lithograph from the German encyclopedia Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, specifically the 5th edition. I have not been able to find a digital copy to confirm that, but I did find a confirming entry that the encyclopedia did indeed have that material in their pages from 1893 to 1897, and that it was part of a larger project to show how ecclesiastical garb evolved from ancient Roman clothing.

** 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

“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.