"Madonna and Child"
The Book of Kells, 800 A.D.

The Book of Kells was one of the wonders of the Medieval world. It was a national treasure, known far and wide for its amazing beauty. It was intricately, painstakingly made by Columban monks over the course of many years. Even to this day, it maintains a world-famous reputation as the highest example of illuminated manuscripts.

The Book of Kells is a book of the four gospels. It is 640 pages long. The pages are made of calf skin. It takes a long time to inscribe a page when you're scraping a goose quill with a dab of ink across animal hide. But they did it for the glory of God, to enshrine His Word in the finest way that was possible for them.

This is Celtic art of the time, and it doesn't look anything like Roman art. It is full of complicated knots and puzzled figures. The scribes didn't even try to make it look realistic. Yet its beauty is strong. Mary is on her throne, protecting her child. Four winged angels surround them. There is a startling amount of detail in the elements of the picture, a lot that can be studied.

It took us a long time to restore this picture. We were trying to take the stains out of the vellum without changing the artwork colors. We hope our restoration helps you see this work as it was back in the Middle Ages, one of the great Wonders of the Medieval world.

** IMPORTANT ** THE IMAGE IS SMALLER THAN THE PAPER! There is a blank border all around the image of about .5" for 5x7, 1.3" for 8.5x11, 1.6" for 11x14, and 1.75" for 13x17". All Approx! The white space gives the framed picture a finished look without using a matt.

- Acid-free paper
- Archival pigments, rated to last for generations without fading.
- Cardboard backer
- Above story of the art
- Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal clear bag.

Thanks for your interest!

Thanks!
Sue & John

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