12” x 36” x 2.25”
Oil on Canvas
Painting Available-Contact if Interested
It may be a little difficult to see but in the upper portion of the Mackerel you might notice the letters “IXOYE”. This is an acronym comprised of the first letter of five Greek words which break down to Jesus, Christ, Son of, God, Savior. The word is also the Greek word for “fish”. Jesus called the fisherman to be fishers of men. When researching this paining he was looking for a way to incorporate something holy into the fish and when I came across this acronym it fit perfectly.
Origin of ‘Holy Mackerel”:
I assume you know that this is an interjection, expressing surprise or awe. The Wiktionary has this to say about the origin.
"Recorded from 1803 with uncertain origin, but possibly a euphemism for Holy Mary, with Mackerel being a nickname for Catholics because they ate the fish on Fridays. Another suggested explanation is the practice of selling mackerel on Sundays in the seventeenth century (because its quality deteriorates rapidly), so it was known as a holy fish."
It is possible that you haven't often heard "Holy Mary" said out loud. I haven't, except in the form, "Holy Mary, Mother of God."