Nudes On Stamps And Other Philately

Ariadne's Triumph, by Hans Makart
Austria 1961, MNH, Scott #665

Here's a question about which I am hoping some of you can enlighten me. Why are there so many nude art stamps, mini sheets and souvenir sheets from Guinea Bissau, Central African Republic, Fujairah, Ajman, and Manama? They seem to be endless. Also, the depictions are almost always European artists and models, rather than people from the issuing countries and continents (which is a bit jarring, honestly). Were these stamps ever intended as postage, or are they just aimed at white collectors? Are they just intended as a profit making venture for those countries postal services? Is it even a legitimate area of philately or are they more akin to Cinderellas?

Standing Woman (1921) by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Czechoslovakia 1981

You cannot govern the collecting of postage stamps, even those that appear to be.
The collecting of Postage stamps and others is the ultimate democracy.
Imagine yourself at a supermarket, you pick and choose, that which pleases you, and ignore the rest.
Why construct parameters for others? you shall end up barking at the moon.
Relax, observe and enjoy that which in this hobby pleases you,personally, and accept others may have a differing penchant.
Rejoice in the diversity.

Rod, I think you're missing my point. I'm just wondering why these non-European countries produce so many stamps depicting European artwork, particularly of the nude variety. Are they really intended for postal use, or are they just aimed at the collector market?

Inquiring minds want to know....

Respectfully,
Jed

TNJed, many of these stamps are aimed at stamp collectors. This has been going on for more than a century, but the trend has accelerated over the past few decades. Even in the industrialized nations, there are far more stamps issued than is necessary for use...especially these days.

Every collector chooses what he or she will collect. Personally, I choose to collect stamps that can actually be found postally used. However, I also collect Cinderellas, but not the ones designed to sell to beginning collectors.

So, if certain stamps don't appeal to you, just move past them.

Opinion:
Jed, whilst "non european" countries in the names on the stamps, often the people behind the emissions were European, American, British.

The slang adopted "Dune Stamps" with Ajman, Sharjah Umm a Quwain, etc
were a case in point.
Greedy men, chasing easy money.

Search "Feigenbaum" on this forum.

The late Brian Cannon of this forum outlined other scams organised in some of our Island states, a brief snippet here

You guys are making me nervous about whether some of the stamps in my collection are not legit....

Let's start with the Ginuea-Bissau Modigliani above: real or Cinderella?

Jed,
perhaps determine by "listed" v "unlisted"
I use Scott
Guinea-Bissau last listed stamps Year 2000
Yours would probably be "illegal" although Scott fails to mention any for Guinea-Bissau.
Even the listed find very rare usage.

Just today, I scanned a bunch of St. Vincent Scott refers to "Lies outside their listing regimen" or similar.

Guinea-Bissau
Series: Amadeo Modigliani (2003)
Catalog codes: Michel GW 2561-2566KB
Themes: Nudes | Paintings
Issued on: 2003-09-15
Colors: Multicolor
Format: Mini Sheet
Emission: Commemorative
Perforation: 13¼
Printing: Offset lithography
Face value: 6*500 CFA - West African CFA franc
Description: Issue acknowledged by the postal authorities of Guinea-Bissau, but only distributed by their philatelic agent for collecting purposes.

Thank you Alexey !
Nice to see that information.
So issues do not carry the mail.
One wonders if they have a current mail organisation.
I guess we consider them, as not illegals, but labels.
Michel is so reliable in this grey area.

Great discussion folks!

Here's one that's not a grey area: Greenland, 1957, Scott Catalogue #43, The Mother of the Sea", MNH

Female nude lying on a white cushion (detail) (c. 1917)
The stamp commemorates centenary of the passing of Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920).

Gustav Klimt's Edith I

Austria
Scott 1938



Somehow she reminds me of Cher.

Tintoretto's Susanna and the Elders

Austria
Scott 2585





One of the elders watching and spying on Susanna