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Sunday 14 December 2014

Art on Sunday Stamps

I joined Sunday Stamps hosted by Viridian in the second week it ran and have participated since up to this, its 200th edition. As Viridian is handing over the baton after this week to Violet Sky I must pay tribute to Viridian for all the hard work she has put in for us to reach that 200 milestone.

Over the weeks there have been many stamps depicting art of various forms, but I am returning to British paintings on stamps issued on 12 August 1968. I have shown two of these before but have since acquired the full set of four.

Great Britain - British Paintings
The paintings are:
  • 4d Queen Elizabeth I - unknown artist
  • 1s6d Ruins of St Mary Le Port - John Piper
  • 1s Pinkie - Thomas Lawrence
  • 1s6d The Hay Wain - John Constable

The 'Darnley Portrait' of Elizabeth I hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.Painted about 1575 it was named after a previous owner and shows the Queen with a crown and sceptre on the table beside her. The portrait is the source of the face pattern 'The Mask of Youth' used for portraits of Elizabeth for years to come.

John Piper was commissioned as a war artist during WWII to paint the 'Home Front.' His series of paintings of bombed buildings included the Bristol church of St Mary le Port which had been hit in attacks on Bristol Docks in November 1940

Pinkie, painted in 1794 by Thomas Lawrence hangs in the Huntington Library at San Marino, California. The museum has given it the title of Sarah Barrett Moulton, Pinkie. Sarah was about eleven years old when she posed for the artist.

Constable's Hay Wain finished in 1821 is one of the greatest and most popular English paintings. It show the wagon in the River Stour between the counties of Suffolk and Essex - the left bank is in Suffolk, the right in Essex.

For links to other art, cross over to Sunday-stamps-200.




14 comments:

Lisa B said...

I've never seen the Piper or the Lawrence, but probably hundreds of the Queen Elizabeth.

Mail Adventures said...

Also they are new to me, except for the Queen Elizabeth. However, I'm not sure I have received any of this set.

Unknown said...

How lovely to some of my favourite paintings as stamps.

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

I too remember the Queen Elizabeth stamp well. The Hay Wain seems familiar but probably because of the picture itself.

21 Wits said...

May I just say, these are just simply very beautiful!

viridian said...

These show why art of stamps is a great thing! Pinkie and Blue Boy are always linked in my head!

Thank you for participating all these weeks!

Bob Scotney said...

Viridian - Apparently Gainsborough's Blue Boy is hung opposite Pinkie in the same museum.

Hootin Anni said...

This is just phenomenal!!!

Postcardy said...

I love the creative bright colors on the bombed church painting.

Joy said...

I like the richness of colour in this set. They harmonise as a whole.

Heleen said...

So interesting to see these different styles from different times!

Jo said...

I didn't know that about the Hay Wain showing two counties. Great stamps.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bob - it's good to read a little more history .. and the stamp issues are fascinating. Love the selection and the stories behind them .. I want to see the Constable exhibition at the VandA .. hope I can get up to it ..

Viridian has done you proud hasn't she .. 200 posts: amazing ..

Happy Christmas and a peaceful 2015 ... cheers Hilary

jp@A Green Ridge said...

Although I know nothing about stamp collecting, these are just beautiful!...:)JP