Charles J. Berger (American, 1922 - 2012) "Children Hanging Christmas Stockings" Signed lower left. Original Acrylic painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. "The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there." These words from Clement Clarke Moore's A Visit from St. Nicholas hold as true today as when they were written in 1823. For generations, hope-filled children, whether they've been good or bad during the past year, have carefully pinned stockings to the fireplace mantle -- at the same time pinning their dream for a merry Christmas on the longed-for visit from Santa Claus. Early Christmas morning, well before weary parents are ready to leave their warm winter beds, youngsters fairly leap from the covers, anxious to see what unexpected surprises that "right jolly old elf" may have left behind. Over the years, gift-giving at the Christmas season has evolved from the elaborate medieval presentations of "pipers piping, maids a'milking and drummers drumming" immortalized in the carol The 12 Days of Christmas to today's more utilitarian food processors, video cassette recorders and microwave ovens. Still, the thought behind the extravagance of Christmas gift-giving remains the same: a remembrance of the first Christmas gifts ... gold, frankincense and myrrh ... presented to Mary by three wise men from the East in homage to the child Jesus, born on that long-ago first Christmas. Image Size: 12.25 x 13.25 in. Overall Size: 17.5 x 20 in. Unframed. (B05198)