Issue 5

‘Top five favourite’ genres for art Christmas card images in 2007 from Bridgeman revealed

This year, Bridgeman is delighted to have licensed over 200 images for Christmas cards and once again traditional religious images come in first place, particularly fine art depictions of angels, demonstrating they are still popular in UK’s multi-million-pound Christmas card industry. However, there does appear to be a shift in the marketplace as a growing number of secular images are being licensed to meet the demands of the UK’s international demographic.

Five Angels Dancing Before the Sun
by Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia, (1403-83)

A Snowstorm at Kinryozan Temple

by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861)

A newcomer to the top five list is Japanese art: this year, a number of major greetings card companies, including Hallmark and Paperchase, have licensed Japanese snow scenes such as the Kuniyoshi woodblock print of A Snowstorm at Kinryozan Temple.

Three kings by Alex Smith-Burnett, 2001

Children's School Nativity Play, 2004 by Jane Freeman

Just below traditional religious iconography in the top five are religious images by our Contemporary Artists that have the advantage of Bridgeman being responsible for copyright clearance and consequently hassle free. These include pictures such as Three Kings Following a Star which follows a biblical/nativity theme, but in a modern, highly decorative and fun style and therefore not overtly religious. Japanese art and London scenes come in third and fourth place.

The library has also had a number of notable licensors for pictures of the capital, including the Lord Mayor of the City of London who selected Canaletto’s River Thames with St Paul’s Cathedral for the 2007 City of London official Christmas card and the House of Lords, who selected an image from the Dickens House Museum as well as a London scene.

Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Houses of Parliament in the Snow by Robert Hallmann

The River Thames with St. Paul's Cathedral on Lord Mayor's Day (detail) by Giovanni A.C. Canaletto

Harriet Bridgeman, founder of the Bridgeman Art Library, said,

”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. There is now 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.

“We are always flattered by the number of people who tell us that they look out for Bridgeman Art Library cards every year because they are always the most original and attractive designs. Our cards have the added advantage of returning money to museums, other organisations and artists, as well as the very worthwhile charities they support.”

The Bridgeman Art Library’s ‘top five favourites’ for Christmas card images:

1. Old Masters and religious images
2. Religious images by contemporary artists
3. Japanese art
4. London scenes
5. Comical/naïve illustration

About our Contemporary Artists

Licensing images by our Contemporary Artists is hassle free, fast and affordable with a range of over 500 artists to choose from. At a mere £100, in addition to the normal image supply fee, we can license an image to you on their behalf bypassing any tedious copyright clearance procedure.

Click here for a full list of contemporary artists or key in ‘!cont’ followed by the keyword of your choice.