Description
Saint Thomas More: conscience and public service
Saint Thomas More appears at a desk with documents, wearing a dark cap, fur-trimmed robes, and a chain of office. These details connect the image to his work as a lawyer and Lord Chancellor of England; the halo identifies the portrait as a devotional image of the martyr. The icon offers a specific religious gift for a lawyer, a public servant, or someone with Thomas More as a patron.
The man behind the portrait
Born in London in 1478, More was a husband, father, humanist, and author as well as a statesman. He resigned as Lord Chancellor in 1532. His refusal to accept Henry VIII's claim to supremacy over the Church led to imprisonment and execution in 1535. Canonized in 1935, he was proclaimed patron of statesmen and politicians by John Paul II in 2000.
The papers and chain are signs of responsibilities held in public life, not instruments of martyrdom. Read alongside his life, they invite reflection on the relationship between professional duty, conscience, and faith. Placed in a study, office, or home prayer corner, the icon can serve as a daily reminder to examine decisions rather than separate religious conviction from ordinary work.
Made to order in Poland
Art Christiana makes the icon on linden wood with two coats of primer, decorative gold-tone metal leaf, and an image printed directly onto the prepared surface. It comes with a certificate stating the year of production and a wall hanger.