Dove and Cross, Baptism Christian Wall Art

What is painted

The dove hovers in the upper half of the page, pure white with the faintest warm shadows in its feathers, wings raised high and tail fanned as it descends. Just below it stands a short cross of weathered, grainy wood, its surface drawn in fine lines of brown and gray. Around the base grows a spray of white five-petaled blossoms on thin branches, still partly in bud, together with long slender leaves of olive green. One fallen petal lies on the ground.

The painting is delicate, done in pale washes of cream, ivory and soft brown on a lightly textured paper, with lots of empty space around the motif. There is no lettering, which keeps the image calm and open.

The dove in Scripture

The dove first appears in the Bible at the end of the flood, when Noah sends one out from the ark and it comes back in the evening with an olive leaf in its mouth, the sign that the waters had gone down (Genesis 8:11). Since then, a dove with an olive branch has meant peace after the storm.

At the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, all four Gospels describe the Spirit of God coming down upon him like a dove, and Luke says “in a bodily shape like a dove” (Luke 3:22). Matthew adds the voice from heaven: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). That is why the descending dove became the symbol of the Holy Spirit, and why it is painted on so many baptismal fonts.

Placed above the cross, the dove brings the two together: the death and resurrection of Christ, and the Spirit given to those who are baptized into him. The spring flowers at the foot of the cross point toward Easter, when that cross stood empty.

A baptism, confirmation or christening present

Soft enough for a nursery and simple enough for any room, this is one of the most natural baptism gift choices in the collection. It is also given for confirmation, when the gift of the Holy Spirit is at the heart of the rite, and for a first communion, an ordination or an Easter present. Hung above a crib, a dresser or a small prayer table, it stays gentle and light.

As Christian wall art, it is a fine art print on heavy archival matte paper, printed to order in the US, and shipping within the United States is free. Sizes run from 5x7 to 24x36, with metric and A sizes also offered. Each Christian poster ships unframed, with a white margin around the image, and a digital file is available for printing at home.