Nudes On Stamps And Other Philately

The Three Graces by Johann Hans von Aachen (1552-1616)
Romania 1969

In 1997, Belgium commemorated the birth centenary of native son and painter Paul Delvaux by issuing a three stamp set depicting his paintings. Two of these stamps include nudes. The 15 f value show only a small crop of a work, while the 17 f stamp shows a complete painting.

From wikipedia, "Paul Delvaux (1894-1994) was a Belgian painter noted for his dream-like scenes of women, classical architecture, trains and train stations, and skeletons, often in combination. He is often considered a surrealist, although he only briefly identified with the Surrealist movement."

15 f L'Homme de la Rue (The Man in the Street) 1940
17 f Cri Populaire (Popular Cry) 1948

And, in 1998 Belgium commemorated the birth centenary of painter Rene Magritte with a three stamp set featuring his paintings. One of these paintings is a nude.

From wikipedia, "Rene Francois Ghislain Magritte (1898 - 1967) was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for creating a number of witty and thought-provoking images. Often depicting ordinary objects in an unusual context, his work is known for challenging observers' preconditioned perceptions of reality."

17 f La Magie Noire (Black Magic) 1945

Two souvenir sheets to post to this thread.

First: Aland Islands, 2004, depicting Fenja and Menja from Norse mythology, MNH



Second: Bulgaria, 1986, featuring a painting by Titian, numbered sheet, CTO

The above sheet, is Danae, by Titian.

Danae, the mother of Perseus, by Zeus, in the act of conceiving, by a golden rain of coins by Zeus.
Their son Perseus, killed and decapitated the Gorgon, Medusa.

Danae, by Titian, cupid is replaced by an old maid. (Painting apparently for Phillip ll of Spain)
Russia Sc#5100 1982 20 kopek.


Her son, Perseus with the head of Medusa.

Rod, thank you for filling in the details on that wonderful Titian painting and providing another philatelic interpretation :)

Jed

Danae, Titian's first treatment.
Visage
Bhutan 1989 Sc#674 15 ngultrum.

2nd Treatment
Russia Sc#5100

Picking up on Kuo's Three Graces theme, here's a couple more interpretations of that.

First is from Italian sculptor Antonio Canova. The stamp is from Italy, 1972, MNH. The sculpture was done in 1817.



Second is from Botticelli's Primavera, painted in the late 1470's or early 1480s. The stamp, which is from Monaco in 1995, is interestingly 3 inches tall not including the selvage.

Seated nude by Amadeo Modigliani (1884-1920)
Belgium 2007

Portrait of Madeleine by Marie-Guillemine Benoist (1768-1826)
France 2020

Kuo, I had not previously seen that one from France....thanks! What is the Scott catalogue #?

Here is the 40 skatiku (Sc #C9) value from Lithuania's November 6, 1921 set of seven "Allegory of Flight" airmail stamps. All of the values of this set are of identical design, but in different colors.

It was just issued this year, so it probably doesn't have a Scott number yet.

Here is the venerable Milo of Crotona, 5 time Olympic wrestling champion (not counting his youth championship), back between 536 and 520 BCE, depicted on a 1924 French stamp celebrating the Paris games of that year. Yvert 185, Scott 200.

Milo is said to have gained superior strength from lifting an ox, starting when the ox was a calf and continuing daily to when the ox was fully grown. Or so the story goes. He is depicted here at the scene of his demise just before things turned ugly. Milo was working on his hand and forearm strength and decided to tear apart a tree stump with his bare hands. He got his hand caught in the split wood when it rebounded on him. According to the legend, wolves or maybe a lion came along and it was good-bye Milo. I am sure his mother would have told him not to be out in the woods doing this without clothes on.

Here by the way is another French issue Maillol. This one is from 1974. Yvert 1789/Scott 1400