News
Bridgeman names top Christmas images
Samantha Loveday Dec 14 2007, 9:57am
Fine art image library reveals the top five favourites for art Christmas card images in 2007.
The Bridgeman Art Library has revealed the top five Christmas card trends for 2007.
This year the fine art image library licensed over 200 images for Christmas cards, with traditional religious images coming in first place, particularly fine art depictions of angels.
Japanese art also featured highly, with a number of major greetings card companies including Hallmark and Paperchase licensing Japanese snow scenes, such as the Kuniyoshi wookblock print of A Snowstorm at Kinroyozan Temple (pictured).
Just below traditional religious iconography in the top five are religious images by contemporary artists, including pictures such as Three Kings Following a Star (2001). This follows a biblical/nativity theme, but in a modern, highly decorative and fun style.
Japanese art and London scenes come in third and fourth place, with comic images taking fifth position.
"We have been licensing images for Christmas cards for over 30 years and in that time, there has been a definite move by greetings cards companies towards secular images," said Harriet Bridgeman, founder of Bridgeman Art Library.
"There is now certainly a trend towards celebrating the season as opposed to focusing on one religious festival. Traditional religious themed cards certainly haven't been abandoned; there is still a big market for them alongside the recent popularity of the Japanese winter scenes."
