Erik Nitsche (Swiss, 1908 - 1998) "Christmas - Holly Boughs" Signed lower right. Original Mixed Media on Illustration Board.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the Canada 34c Christmas stamp issued October 23, 1985.

Whether he's called Santa Claus or St. Nick, the jolly white-whiskered elf -- dressed in red and bearing presents -- has long been part of Christmas festivities -- including the Toronto Santa Claus Parade honored on Canada's 1985 Christmas stamps. The real St. Nicholas was a fourth century Catholic bishop whose life was devoted to secret works of charity. The Christmas tradition of gift-giving in secrecy sprang from the famous legend concerning his gift of three bags of gold as dowries for three daughters of a poor but devote parishioner. St. Nicholas is considered the patron saint of children, sailors, pawnbrokers and, of course, marriageable maidens. Throughout medieval Europe, tales of St. Nicholas's clandestine generosity sparked Christians of every nation to begin the practice of gift-giving in his honor on December 6, his Feast Day. Long before St. Nicholas became associated with Christmas, the ancient pagan festival of Saturnalia, which subsequently honored Julius Caesar, was mingled with the observance of Christ's birth. Through the years, Holly has embodied the spirit of renewal at Christmas.

Image Size: 14 x 12 in.
Overall Size: 20 x 15 in.
Unframed.
(B09892)

- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.

- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via WIRE TRANSFER, no other forms of payment will be accepted.

- All items are sold as-is where-is and no guarantees are made of any kind. All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.

- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.

- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com

- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through multiple online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.

- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be outbid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.

- Unless otherwise stated in the description, all items are sold without additional documentation or COAs. If any supporting documentation is available an image will be available online via the catalog listing.