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For collectors searching fine art oil painting, Saint Joseph Seeks a Lodging in Bethlehem is a dependable choice. Painted in layered oils on canvas after James Tissot, this vintage work reads equally well as classic canvas wall art and as a thoughtful housewarming gift.
1886-1894
Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper
Brooklyn Museum, United States.
In the biblical narrative, Mary and Joseph live in Nazareth but must journey to Bethlehem, the ancestral home of Joseph’s family, to be counted in a census imposed by the Romans. On their arrival in the town, Joseph searches for lodgings without success. Tissot contrasts Joseph’s anxious plea calling up to townspeople in hopes of finding accommodation with the Virgin Mary’s quiet resignation.
Tissot’s expeditions to the Middle East in the 1880s provided rich source material for his watercolor compositions. The thick masonry walls and labyrinthine alleys of Jaffa, an ancient port city near modern Tel Aviv in Israel, serve here, with minor revisions, as the backdrop of Bethlehem.
Collectors often choose this fine art image when searching for fine art oil painting that feels substantial rather than decorative or disposable.
From primer to varnish, the work is done manually on artist-grade canvas. The absence of digital printing is deliberate: it keeps the fine art brushwork visible and gives the vintage oil painting wall decor a museum-like finish.
As bedroom wall art, this canvas brings color and texture without visual noise. It scales well from a small study to a large bedroom feature wall, and it is a reliable choice when shopping for fine art oil painting as a gift.
| Size | Price |
|---|---|
| 20 X 24 in | $109.98 |
| 24 X 36 in | $167.98 |
| 30 X 40 in | $216.48 |
| 36 X 48 in | $292.98 |
| 48 X 72 in | $554.98 |
The sizes shown are the reproduction canvas sizes we paint to order. The dimensions given in a work's description refer to the original artwork and will differ from the sizes offered here. Not sure? Read the size guide or e-mail us.
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Every canvas is painted by hand in oils on artist-grade stretched canvas, with an extra blank border left for framing. How to care for your painting.
Measurements are on the size guide, or e-mail [email protected] and we reply within one business day.
