The Oldest Angel Artist Proof
$2,650.00
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A sense of story pours from this tall, theatrical composition—the picture reads like a stage set hung against a midnight sky. Small tableaux build one upon another around an imagined stone island: courtyards and balconies, masked figures, a grieving woman, a jesting character, and a robed magician bestride crashing surf. Because the scene is narrow and vertical, your eye climbs as if moving through linked scenes, discovering familiar Shakespearean moods—mischief, longing, menace—rather than a single moment. Christensen’s color choices reinforce that drama: warm, golden light anchors the architecture and faces, while deep blues and greens push the surroundings into shadow and sea-spray, giving the whole piece a dreamlike, moonlit hush. The careful, narrative detail—small gestures, costumed characters, and symbolic props—rewards close looking and invites you to linger and tease out references. As an object for contemplation, it brings the pleasure of theatrical imagination into a home, feeling both intimate and delightfully theatrical at once.
The Artwork
About Shakespearean Fantasy Artist Proof
Shakespearean Fantasy<br> MASTERWORK CANVAS EDITION
“I’ve had a lifelong love affair with Shakespeare’s works. Of all the artists—and certainly of all the playwrights and poets—who have ever lived, Shakespeare comes closest to my ideal” says James C. Christensen. “If I took all my best artistic qualities and exaggerated them to become some sort of creative superhero, I like to think I’d be a lot like Shakespeare.
“This painting was commissioned by the Utah Shakespearean Festival. People ask me, ‘Why do you only have some of his plays represented here?’ My answer is always the same: ‘The other plays are on the back of the island, just go around!’ Seriously, a few of the references are tough, so you may need to revisit your Shakespeare to get them all.
“The Bard had such a deep and intimate understanding of the human condition, so much so that his plays, which were written nearly a half-millennium ago, are still being performed. Why? Because the messages, trials and joys of his characters are universal and because they are beautifully expressed. The pleasure of reading Shakespeare’s sonnets or attending a performance of one of his plays is in his finely crafted language. He says things the way I wish I could say them.”
“This painting was commissioned by the Utah Shakespearean Festival. People ask me, ‘Why do you only have some of his plays represented here?’ My answer is always the same: ‘The other plays are on the back of the island, just go around!’ Seriously, a few of the references are tough, so you may need to revisit your Shakespeare to get them all.
“The Bard had such a deep and intimate understanding of the human condition, so much so that his plays, which were written nearly a half-millennium ago, are still being performed. Why? Because the messages, trials and joys of his characters are universal and because they are beautifully expressed. The pleasure of reading Shakespeare’s sonnets or attending a performance of one of his plays is in his finely crafted language. He says things the way I wish I could say them.”
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About the Collection
James Christensen (1942–2017) was a visionary fantasy artist known for his whimsical paintings that blend mythological storytelling with magical realism. His work, inspired by Renaissance art and surrealism, features imaginative characters, intricate details, and symbolic elements such as floating fish, which represent wisdom and wonder. Christensen’s unique artistic voice brought to life fairy tales, fables, and medieval-inspired dreamscapes, making his fine art prints and collectible fantasy artwork highly sought after. His ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary continues to captivate art collectors and dreamers alike.
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Image copyright © 2026 by James Christensen.
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Limited-edition artwork includes a Certificate of Authenticity when one is issued by the artist, publisher, studio, or authorized source. Open-edition pieces may not include a certificate; this does not affect their authenticity. The Collection Shop sources artwork through artists, publishers, authorized distributors, galleries, and other approved channels. Any additional documentation included with this specific piece will be noted above.
It is with deep regret and profound sadness that The Collection Shop announces the passing of artist James C. Christensen on Sunday, January 8, 2017.
Inspired by the world's myths, fables and tales of imagination, James C. Christensen wants his work to add up to more than a beautiful - if sometimes "curious" looking work of art. Having taught art professionally for over 20 years, he likes to think of the world as his classroom. His hope is that through whatever he creates-be it a porcelain, fine art print or book-he can convey a message, inspiration or a simple laugh. He believes that teaching people to use their imagination helps us find solutions to sooth the stresses of everyday life-or get a little lift to help us keep going. In short: all things are possible when you share Christensen's philosophy that "Believing is Seeing." Christensen was born in 1942 and raised in Culver City, California. He studied painting at Brigham Young University and, for a while, the University of California at Los Angeles before finishing his formal education at BYU. Since then, he has had one-man shows in the West and the Northeast and his work is prized in collections throughout the U.S. and Europe. Christensen has also won all the professional art honors the World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention can bestow, as well as multiple Chesley Awards from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. Christensen has been designated as a "Utah Art Treasure," one of Utah s Top 100 Artists by the Springville Museum of Art and received the Governor s Award for Art awarded by the Utah Arts Council recognizing the significance of Christensen s artwork to Utah s cultural communities. He was inducted into the U.S. Art magazine s Hall of Fame and is an Honored Alumnus at Brigham Young University for his contributions to fine art and education. James and his wife Carole, co-chair the Mormon Arts Foundation. He is a frequent guest lecturer at Brigham Young University, and has also given workshops to large companies and organizations on the subject of creative thinking, including the California Art Educator s Association, Hallmark and Intermountain Health Care. In addition to his fine art limited editions on paper and canvas, Christensen s work can be found in five acclaimed books and a series of interactive journals and in three dimensions in porcelain and hand-crafted limited-edition bronze sculptures
Inspired by the world's myths, fables and tales of imagination, James C. Christensen wants his work to add up to more than a beautiful - if sometimes "curious" looking work of art. Having taught art professionally for over 20 years, he likes to think of the world as his classroom. His hope is that through whatever he creates-be it a porcelain, fine art print or book-he can convey a message, inspiration or a simple laugh. He believes that teaching people to use their imagination helps us find solutions to sooth the stresses of everyday life-or get a little lift to help us keep going. In short: all things are possible when you share Christensen's philosophy that "Believing is Seeing." Christensen was born in 1942 and raised in Culver City, California. He studied painting at Brigham Young University and, for a while, the University of California at Los Angeles before finishing his formal education at BYU. Since then, he has had one-man shows in the West and the Northeast and his work is prized in collections throughout the U.S. and Europe. Christensen has also won all the professional art honors the World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention can bestow, as well as multiple Chesley Awards from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. Christensen has been designated as a "Utah Art Treasure," one of Utah s Top 100 Artists by the Springville Museum of Art and received the Governor s Award for Art awarded by the Utah Arts Council recognizing the significance of Christensen s artwork to Utah s cultural communities. He was inducted into the U.S. Art magazine s Hall of Fame and is an Honored Alumnus at Brigham Young University for his contributions to fine art and education. James and his wife Carole, co-chair the Mormon Arts Foundation. He is a frequent guest lecturer at Brigham Young University, and has also given workshops to large companies and organizations on the subject of creative thinking, including the California Art Educator s Association, Hallmark and Intermountain Health Care. In addition to his fine art limited editions on paper and canvas, Christensen s work can be found in five acclaimed books and a series of interactive journals and in three dimensions in porcelain and hand-crafted limited-edition bronze sculptures
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