This blog has a mild obsession with Christmas Cards - as any back reference of it will show. This year we're moving upmarket - only paying attention to those that might be worth making money from. (This is what London does for you - can I sell it on? etc.)
Enter The Madonna Praying by Sassoferrato.
Sent to me by a Baptist Church leader, this is very apt because . . . no, wait a minute, what IS it?
Sassoferrato was known for these paintings. He may or may not have had a deep Catholic Marian affection, but the real reason he kept on painting the Madonna praying was because all sorts of wealthier Italians would pay for them to put in their homes to aid their devotion or just for good (divine) luck.
Today it will set you back about £10,000.
The connection to Christmas is quite thin - Mary must have been far too busy to look this peaceful and baby Jesus was not relevant to Sassoferatto's retail model. But while unBaptist and not Christmassy, perhaps in true London fashion I can pass it off somewhere in January for a few pounds and make Christmas out of it after all!!
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