Product Description The St. Joseph Contemporary Icon is a unique, hand-painted visual prayer to the foster father of Jesus and example to fathers everywhere. Made in Poland by a deeply spiritual artist, this icon is an enriching and symbolically profound piece. Painted in a medium known as “reverse oil painting” on glass, the icon is literally radiant with reflective light. At 3.5 x 5 inches, this small reverential painting makes for a glorious addition to your living room, whether you put it out seasonally with your Christmas decorations or leave it out year-round. A Reverse Oil Painting on Glass Reverse oil painting on glass – an art technique through which the artist paints a painting on the reverse side of a glass surface. Reverse paintings are extremely challenging to do well since – in painting a face, for example – the artist must first paint the pupil of an eye on the glass before painting the iris. This is exactly the opposite of how one normally paints a painting. The artist will not be able to go back and change or correct anything done earlier since the surface between the glass and the paint already applied is no longer accessible at all. An artist in Poland who specializes in religious art painted this and many other reverse oil paintings on glass. The elderly mother of the artist enclosed each of these beautiful paintings in a handmade frame with a leather back. Every icon is unique in detail, color and depiction. To see other reverse oil paintings by the same artist, click here. A Beautiful Gift The image itself is almost childlike in its simplicity, with Joseph, serene and loving, keeping close watch over the Christ Child. Each painting is unique and hand-painted, with small variations, and is signed by the author, forever reminding you of the deeply personal spirituality that animates these paintings. This hand-painted icon makes a loving gift for Christmas, Father’s Day, or for anyone named Joseph. Joseph’s Legacy At Mary’s side in the Holy Family of Nazareth stands the figure of Saint Joseph. Through his work and generous presence, he cared for and defended Mary and Jesus, delivering them from the violence of the unjust by bringing them to Egypt. The Gospel presents Joseph as a just man, hard-working and strong. But he also shows great tenderness, which is not a mark of the weak but of those who are genuinely strong, fully aware of reality and ready to love and serve in humility. That is why he was proclaimed custodian of the universal Church. He too can teach us how to show care; he can inspire us to work with generosity and tenderness in protecting this world which God has entrusted to us. -Pope Francis, Laudato si, 2015
