CHRISTMAS ANGELS

In this sweet book, delicate paintings by M.I. Hummel are paired with well-loved verses full of the joy and hope of children, and the angels that watch over them...

Sister Maria Innocentia 1934

Who was M.I. Hummel?  Berta, as she was named by her family, was born in 1909 in Bavaria.  From childhood, she displayed a promising artistic talent.  She studied at the Munich Academy of Applied Arts, where she met sisters of the Franciscan Order from a nearby teaching convent.  She, herself, entered the convent upon graduation from the academy in 1931.  That is when the young artist Berta took her new name, Maria Innocentia.

Before long, her artwork caught the attention of Franz Goebel, a local ceramics factory owner.  He had been searching for ideas for a new line of collectible figurines.  The first M.I. Hummel figurines, delicately crafted in three dimensions from the charming sketches and paintings of Maria Innocentia, were introduced to the public in 1935.

The young nun died of tuberculosis in 1946.  Even today, the ceramic figurines inspired by her tender artistry continue to be lovingly collected by admirers around the world.

Christmas Angels is available from Amazon or at your local library.