Christmas Card from Helen and Dick Bishop 

This is a Christmas card designed by Richard Evett Bishop, likely created sometime in the mid-20th century, given the artist's lifespan. The print depicts a flock of ducks in flight. Bishop was an American artist who specialized in wildlife subjects, particularly waterfowl. His work was popular among hunters and conservationists. During this time, the rise of environmental consciousness saw people question their relationship to the natural world. Bishop's art reflects this shift, aestheticizing wildlife and inviting viewers to appreciate its beauty. The Christmas card format adds another layer of social meaning. Christmas cards became popular in the late 19th century as a way to maintain social connections. Bishop's card suggests a certain level of affluence and cultural capital on the part of the sender. It speaks to the ways in which art could be integrated into everyday life. To fully understand this image, one might research the history of wildlife art, the development of the Christmas card industry, and the social context of conservation movements in mid-20th century America. Art is always embedded in a web of social and institutional relations.