We don’t have an image of this object online yet. V&A Images may have a photograph that we can’t show online, but it may be possible to supply one to you. Email us at vaimages@vam.ac.uk for guidance about fees and timescales, quoting the accession number: E.3155-2007
Find out about our images

Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case GG, Shelf 235

Holy Card

2000-2007 (published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is one of a group of ten holy cards (E.3153-2007 to 3162-2007) representing saints. They are 21st century reprints of earlier designs by Ade Bethune (1914 - 2002). An art student in New York during the 1930s, Bethune worked for the Catholic Worker Movement and her designs of saints and Biblical scenes were frequently published in its newspaper. The figures she depicts, as in the case of these cards, tend to be simply dressed and often shown carrying out everyday chores. They reflect the ideals of the Catholic Worker Movement whose members believed in the virtues of manual labour. As one of its founders, Dorothy Day, explained:

"Besides inducing cooperation, besides overcoming barriers and establishing the spirit of sister and brotherhood (besides just getting things done), manual labour enables us to use our bodies as well as our hands, our minds" (reprinted from The Catholic Worker newspaper, 'The Aims and Means of the Catholic Worker', May 2008).

Five of the ten cards here portray saints carrying out manual chores. For example, the Virgin Mary, 'Our Lady of Home Work', scrubs the floor; Saint Theresa of Lisieux washes clothes or dishes, and Saint Joseph and Christ 'The Workman' carry out carpentry work. Another card depicts Joseph, Christ and Mary at work with the Benedictine motto 'Ora et Labora' ('Pray and Work') explicitly printed above them.

These 21st century reprints were published by Blue Cloud Abbey, a Benedictine Monastery founded in 1950 in Indiana. Their mission is to follow Saint Benedict's Rule to pray, work and study. The saint appears in one these cards in the act of preaching.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Lithography on card
Brief description
Holy card depicting Saint Benedict illustrated by Ade Bethune and published by Blue Cloud Abbey
Physical description
Full figure image of St Benedict holding a staff and an open book in each hand, and a raven with a loaf in its beak. Printed in dark blue on white rectangular card (portrait format).
Dimensions
  • Height: 12.7cm
  • Width: 7.6cm
Production typeUnlimited edition
Marks and inscriptions
Ade Bethune Cards BCA1-97 / Blue Cloud Abbey, Marvin SD 57251 (Printed in black on the back of the card.)
Credit line
Given by Tim Travis in memory of Leslie Travis
Subjects depicted
Summary
This is one of a group of ten holy cards (E.3153-2007 to 3162-2007) representing saints. They are 21st century reprints of earlier designs by Ade Bethune (1914 - 2002). An art student in New York during the 1930s, Bethune worked for the Catholic Worker Movement and her designs of saints and Biblical scenes were frequently published in its newspaper. The figures she depicts, as in the case of these cards, tend to be simply dressed and often shown carrying out everyday chores. They reflect the ideals of the Catholic Worker Movement whose members believed in the virtues of manual labour. As one of its founders, Dorothy Day, explained:

"Besides inducing cooperation, besides overcoming barriers and establishing the spirit of sister and brotherhood (besides just getting things done), manual labour enables us to use our bodies as well as our hands, our minds" (reprinted from The Catholic Worker newspaper, 'The Aims and Means of the Catholic Worker', May 2008).

Five of the ten cards here portray saints carrying out manual chores. For example, the Virgin Mary, 'Our Lady of Home Work', scrubs the floor; Saint Theresa of Lisieux washes clothes or dishes, and Saint Joseph and Christ 'The Workman' carry out carpentry work. Another card depicts Joseph, Christ and Mary at work with the Benedictine motto 'Ora et Labora' ('Pray and Work') explicitly printed above them.

These 21st century reprints were published by Blue Cloud Abbey, a Benedictine Monastery founded in 1950 in Indiana. Their mission is to follow Saint Benedict's Rule to pray, work and study. The saint appears in one these cards in the act of preaching.
Collection
Accession number
E.3155-2007

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 8, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSON