Art & Paintings On Stamps

Happy Birthday to Bohemian etcher Václav Hollar (aka Wenceslaus and Wenzel Hollar, 1607-1677). Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of the artist, designed and engraved by Jirí Antonín Švengsbír (1921-1983), and issued by Czechoslovakia on December 5, 1953, Scott No. 629, plus an image of a portrait of Wenceslaus Hollar holding one of his etchings (with Prague Castle in the background) by Flemish Baroque artist Jan Meyssens (1612-1670), which may have been a model for this stamp's design, and a link to the University of Toronto's marvelous Wenceslaus Hollar Digital Collection: http://link.library.utoronto.ca/hollar/.

- nethryk

Happy Birthday to Dutch painter and etcher Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669)! Here are images of a couple of stamps featuring portraits of Rembrandt designed after self-portraits, plus images of relevant details from Rembrandt's original artworks.

- nethryk

Rembrandt, designed by Romanian artist Serban Zainea (1907-1990) after a painting, printed by photogravure, and issued by Romania on December 28, 1956 as the high value in a set of ten stamps in a "Cultural Anniversaries" series, Scott No. 1131.


Rembrandt, designed and engraved by French artist and engraver Claude Hertenberger (1912-2002) after a detail from an etching, and issued by France on November 9, 1959 as one of a set of seven stamps honoring "Foreign Celebrities," Scott No. 860, Y&T No. 1135.

Here is an image of an airmail stamp designed and engraved by Jean Pheulpin (1907-1991) after an oil on canvas painting entitled "Tahitian Women on the Beach" (1891), by French artist Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), and issued for use in French Polynesia on November 3, 1958, Scott No. C25, plus an image of Gauguin's original work of art.

- nethryk

Here are images of the four semi-postal (charity) stamps in a set depicting carved statuettes (a female figure, and a male figure making an offering) printed by photogravure, and issued for use in Rio Muni on November 23, 1961 for Stamp Day, Scott Nos. B10-B13.

- nethryk

Here is an image of a stamp designed and engraved by Jean Pheulpin after a portrait of a sailor by Monégasque artist Philibert Florence (1839-1918), and issued by Monaco on May 13, 1975 as a EUROPA stamp, Scott No. 961.

- nethryk

Here are images of the four stamps in a set depicting Indian miniatures in the collections of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin and the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, designed by Manfred Gottschall (1937- ), printed by photogravure, and issued by East Germany (DDR) on May 8, 1979, Scott Nos. 2005-08, Michel Nos. 2418-21.

- nethryk

Durga, 18th century.


Mahavira, 15th-16th century.


Todi Ragini, 17th century.


Asavari Ragini, 17th century.

Here are images of the three stamps designed after famous "Madonna and Child" paintings, engraved by French engravers, and issued for use in Saar on August 14, 1954, Scott Nos. 250-52, Michel Nos. 351-53, plus images of the relevant details from the original masterpieces.

- nethryk

Darmstadt Madonna (1526-28), by Hans Holbein the Younger (c. 1497-1543), engraved by Jean Pheulpin (1907-1991).


Sistine Madonna (1512-14), by Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520), engraved by Pierre Munier (1889-1962).


Madonna of the Pear (1512), by Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), engraved by Charles Mazelin (1882-1964).

Here is an image of a stamp depicting a cast stone sculpture entitled "The Kneeling One" (1911) by German sculptor Wilhelm Lehmbruck (1881-1919), designed by Belgian artist Jean Van Noten (1903-1982), printed by photogravure, and issued by Belgium on August 20, 1957 to commemorate the 4th Biennial Sculpture Exhibition, held in Antwerp, Scott No. 511, plus a photograph of the original work of art.

- nethryk

Here is an image of a stamp depicting a cast metal sculpture bust entitled "Portrait of Tytusa Czyzewskiego" (1917), by Polish artist Zbigniew Pronaszko (1885-1958), designed by H. Chylinski, printed by lithography, and issued by Poland on October 29, 1992, Scott No. 3109, plus a photograph of the original work of art.

- nethryk

Here is an image of a stamp depicting a sculptor creating a sculpture entitled "Motherhood," designed by Russian artist Vasili Vasilievich Zavialov (1906-1972), printed by lithography, and issued by Russia (USSR) on March 5, 1957, Scott No. 1937, Zagorski No. 1894.

- nethryk

Happy Birthday to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901), a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman and illustrator noted for his exciting, elegant and provocative images of the modern and sometimes decadent life of the late 19th century. Here is an image of a semi-postal (charity) stamp featuring a portrait of the painter, designed by French artist Michel Ciry (1919- ), engraved by René Cottet (1902-1992), and issued by France on June 7, 1958, Scott No. B326, Y&T No. 1171, plus a photograph of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (who was extremely short because of health problems), and an image of a poster created by the artist for the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret in Paris.

- nethryk

Bertel Thorvaldsen (c. 1770-1844) was a Danish sculptor who spent most of his life (1789–1838) in Rome, Italy. Here is an image of a stamp depicting a poster created in 1970 by Danish photographer Ole Woldbye (1930-2003) to publicize the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen, featuring a detail from a sculpture by Thorvaldsen, engraved by Lars Sjööblom (1956- ), and issued by Denmark on May 14, 2003 as one of a set of two EUROPA stamps depicting poster art, Scott No. 1251, Facit No. 1365, plus an image of the relevant sculpture, "Jason with the Golden Fleece" (1802), Bertel Thorvaldsen's first masterpiece.

- nethryk

Happy Birthday to Nandalal Bose (1882-1966) a pioneer of modern Indian art noted for his paintings of scenes from Indian mythologies, women, and village life. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Bose and depicting one of his paintings of a mythological half-bird-half-man garuda, printed by photogravure, and issued by India on April 16, 1967, Scott No. 448, plus a photograph of Nanadal Bose, and an image of his garuda painting which was a model for this stamp's design.

- nethryk