1954 was declared by Pope Pius XII to be a Marian year, a year dedicated to Mary. It was also the Centennial of the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which in 1854 had declared that Mary was born without Original Sin. As a part of this, while the Cold War was heating up, the general papal prayer intentions for the month of December 1954 were World Peace through Mary Immaculate, as it says at the bottom of this 1954 poster.

The intention was promoted by the Apostleship of Prayer, which is now called the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network. They are a group of the laity dedicated to praying for the Pope's intentions. There is a curious note at the bottom of this poster, which is French and done by a French artist, The Apostolate to the High Castes of India. We can find no trace of this sub-apostolate, but the vast majority of Indian Catholics are from the lower castes, so it would make sense the Church wanted to convert more from the higher castes.

We think this is a beautiful painting, a perfect example of that simplified modern art style of the Mid-Century. It was done by René Dionnet (1909-1994), a French artist who has left behind little biographical information. We believe, like 99% sure, that this poster is in the public domain because it probably had at most an implied copyright at the time and was not registered with the copyright office, and therefore not renewed. Further, it was evidently commissioned by the Apostolate to the High Castes of India, and we can find no trace of that organization. Implied copyrights disappear quietly. Much of 1950s culture is in the public domain, with the exception of the few things, like movies, books, and trademarks.

** IMPORTANT ** THE IMAGE IS SMALLER THAN THE PAPER! There is a blank border all around the image of about .5" for 5x7, 1.3" for 8.5x11, 1.6" for 11x14, and 1.75" for 13x17" and 16x20" (shown in the last photo). All Approx! The white space gives the framed picture a finished look without using a mat.

*POSTERS ARE PRINTED WITH SMALL BORDER* This is to preserve the dimensions of the original artwork.

- Acid-free paper
- Archival pigments, rated to last for generations.
- Cardboard backer
- Above story of the art
- Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal clear bag.

Thanks for your interest!

Thanks!
Sue & John

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Also, check out our Catholic Quote shop, where we are pairing authentic quotes from Saints with Art: www.Etsy.com/shop/CatholicQuote

"In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art." ~ St. Pope John Paul II

Original image is out-of-copyright. Descriptive text and image alterations (hence the whole new image) © by Sue Kouma Johnson - Classic Catholic Art.