Tom McNeely (Canadian, B. 1935) "Bringing Home a Christmas Tree in Sleigh" Signed lower left. Original Watercolor painting on Paper laid on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First of Issue Maximum Card for the U.S. 22c Madonna and Child Christmas stamp issued October 24, 1986. If the celebration of the birth of Christ were compacted into one year, the tradition of the Christmas Tree would be but days old. Though the exact date of origin is disputed, it is widely recognized that the Christmas Tree is a German invention dating roughly from the 16th or 17th centuries. Early legend has it that the first Christmas tree was cut down by Martin Luther and decorated with candles to represent the star-filled Holy Night in Bethlehem. This beautiful and moving symbol caught on and soon became a tradition, with German immigrants bringing their ways -- including the Christmas Tree as a holiday tradition -- to the New World. In 1856, the first White House Christmas Tree was decorated by U.S. President Franklin Pierce. Once the Christmas Tree found its way into the nation's most prominent home, the moving image rapidly spread, becoming a Christmas tradition in nearly every home across the nation, dazzling all who gazed upon its beauty. France and Great Britain adopted the tradition in the 1840s; Queen Victoria kept a tree at Windsor Castle during the holidays. Today, it is the centerpiece of Christmas celebrations across the nation, and can take on many sizes and shapes: from giant saguaro cactus in sunny, dry Arizona to rich, green fir trees in the snow-frosted New England states. Image Size: 15.5 x 20 in. Overall Size: 17.5 x 22 in. Unframed. (B10206)