Loreto Embroideries – Print Collection – Set of 8 – 8.5x11" Vintage Catholic Art Prints – Archival Quality

We love the exquisite Loreto Embroidery series! They are among the most beautiful and popular Catholic art prints in our shop! If you feel the way we do, we now offer a chance for you to own them at a big savings! This curated set of 8 is only $97.00! Compare that to getting 8 prints individually in our shop at $22.95 each, $183.60 total, and this set is almost 50% off!

The Litany of Loreto dates back to the Middle Ages. It is a collection of titles of Our Lady, all having to do with Mary's relationship to us and to God. In 1912, Italian artist Ezio Anichini (1886-1948) released 46 drawings of the Litany of Loreto titles, which were all of them at the time. (There are over 50 now.)

Anichini was a famous illustrator at the time. His art was Art Nouveau, called Stile Liberty in Italy, our favorite style. His work is precise yet romantic, emotionally engaging, and shows his deep reverence for the Mother of God.

Some unknown stitcher turned 12 of his drawing into magnificent embroideries. The embroideries were a gift to an elderly nun, who sent them from London to the SHCJ Mayfield Convent in Surrey, England, for safekeeping during World War II. They are now held by the Royal School of Needlework in London, and are widely regarded as masterpieces of beauty, design, and execution. Sue and I had the chance to see one of them in person, on to loan the University of Dayton, a Catholic college in Ohio. It was worth the 1500 miles of driving!

Original worked mostly in long and short stitch on a rich cream satin background in shades of beige, fawn, and brown silks, as well as white, warmed and enriched with gold threads. (Source: CorneliaConnellyLibrary.org and needlenthread.com)

We spent an awful lot of time restoring the flawed photographs of these images to bring out the richness of the colors and the precision of the needlework. We look forward to the time when the Royal School of Needlework, who hold and preserve these masterpieces, releases perfect photographs of them to a grateful world. The best work of everyone is done when it is done for the Glory of God. Until that time, the restoration work we have performed, not the imperfect source photographs, is copyrighted under U.S. copyright law, which we assert solely to prevent commercial interests from stealing our labor.

Each print includes these things: 
- 8.5 x 11" acid-free paper
- Archival pigments, rated to last for generations without fading.
- Cardboard backer
- A story of each image 
- Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal clear bag.

** IMPORTANT ** There is about an inch-and-a-third of white space around the picture, so the image is smaller than the paper.

Thanks for your interest in our Catholic art!

Sue & John Johnson

St. Mary's Parish, 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 image alterations (hence the whole new image) © by Sue Kouma Johnson - Classic Catholic Art.