Royal Mail Christmas Stamps

Royal Mail Christmas Stamps
- issue 6 November 2007

The Royal Mail has published a booklet on the coming Christmas Stamps. The good news is the return of the sacred art in the Christmas Mail. Last year’s images were of snowmen Santa Clauses and reindeer.

Congratulations to the Royal Mail for putting Christ back into Christmas.

After much effort I failed obtain the advertised productions Online. In the end this was only possible by Ordering by phone.

The Royal Mail provides its own commentary on the new stamps as follows.

“This year’s Christmas stamps mark a return to a religious theme with traditional Italianate representations of angels created by Italian illustrator Marco Ventura who works on gesso coated paper. The two Madonna stamps were produced in reaction to a popular demand for stamps bearing an overtly Christian image and will be reissued in future years.

The two Madonna & Child stamps feature two classic paintings of the image. 2nd class - William Dyce, c. 1827. In pearly light, the sweet faced young Madonna cradling her child before a limpid landscape, clearly shows the influence of Renaissance art, particularly of the young Raphael. Dyce led the way and in turn became a supporter of the radical group of young English painters, the Pre-Raphaelites. 1st Class - The Madonna of Humility, Lippo di Dalmasio, c. 1390-1400. Extensive damage and centuries of repairs have dimmed but not eclipsed the grace of The Madonna, crowned with 12 stars, against a disc of golden light, recalling Saint John’s vision of the Woman of the Apocalypse, “clothed with the sun”, in the Book of Revelation”.