Christmas Card – "Silent Night" – Good Housekeeping, December 1924 – 5x7" with Envelope – 1 / 10 / 50 / 100 – by Jessie Willcox Smith

Good Housekeeping, the quintessential American magazine for housewives, would on some occasions in the early years of the 20th Century publish Catholic-themed covers. To our knowledge, they were all painted by Jessie Wilcox Smith. They were all Madonna and Child paintings. In this one, we have Mary kneeling by Jesus. Smith uses a deep Marian blue which any Catholic would recognize. Protestant versions of this scene always include Joseph because, sadly, the theme of Madonna and Child is deliberately not part of their tradition. But Jessie Wilcox Smith was one of the most famous illustrators of her day, in a time art historians call the Golden Age of Illustration. We are very fond of this style. She painted every cover of Good Housekeeping between 1917 and 1933. (source: pookpress.co.uk)As a card, it harkens back to a kinder, simpler time when the Christian faith was mainstreram Americana. IMPORTANT NOTE: Inkjet printers will not work on this coated card stock! A laser printer will. – 5x