Lauren Ford's Art of Christmas

A profile of Lauren Ford

Lauren Ford was born in New York City in 1891. Her mother was Julia Ellsworth Ford, "the author of many books and plays for children." Her father was Simeon Ford, owner of the Grand Union Hotel, a man of famous wit, and a popular public speaker. According to Julia Ford, Lauren began to draw at age four. Lauren studied art with George Bridgman and Frank V. du Mond. In 1973, Lauren Ford passed away at the age of eighty-two. During her life, Ford painted many works of a religious nature.

The artwork of Lauren Ford has been presented in such distinguished galleries as the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Art Institute of Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and can be found "among the treasures of discriminating private collectors." Life magazine featured Lauren Ford's work in several of its issues. Lauren Ford's cards at Christmas time have been received and treasured by many Americans. Critics have praised Ford's work for being "tender," "fanciful," and "picturesque."

During her life, Ford lived a "simple" and "independent" life on her working farm near Bethlehem, Connecticut, surrounded by family and friends. She received a "continual procession of interesting guests from all over the world." The gracious Connecticut countryside and her farm animals appear in much of her work. The Nativity scene is frequently pictured in her own barn. The Nativity scene is the subject of Ford's exquisite Christmas cards, which are treasured throughout the year by their delighted recipients.

During her life, Ford published three books: Our Lady's Book, The Ageless Story, and Lauren Ford's Christmas Book. In each of these books, Ford combined her artwork with her own lyric prose to interpret the Marian aspects of the Bible and the Christian tradition.

This profile is based on a biographical summary provided in Lauren Ford's Christmas Book.