US Stamps 2022 Virgin and Child Traditional Christmas Series 5 Sheets of 20

US Stamps 2022 Virgin and Child Traditional Christmas Series 5 Sheets of 20 Pictures a 16th century oil painting of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus Part of the Traditional Christmas stamp series Why the stamp was issued: To commemorate the traditional religious figures associated with Christmas. About the stamp design: Pictures a 16th century oil painting by a Florentine artist known as the Master of the Scandicci Lamentation. First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, the home of the original painting pictured on the stamp. About the Traditional Christmas Series: In 1966, the Post Office issued its first Madonna and Child stamp, a 15th century painting by Flemish painter Hans Memling. The stamp was very popular and over 1.1 billion were printed. This led the Post Office to issue another traditional Christmas stamp in 1968, this time picturing the Angel Gabriel. In 1969, they went back to more contemporary holiday subjects before finally deciding in 1970 to issue one Traditional Christmas stamp and one Contemporary Christmas stamp. Their decision proved popular and theyve continued to issue both Traditional and Contemporary Christmas stamps ever since. History the stamp represents: The United States Postal Service has a long history of picturing Virgin and Child paintings on holiday stamps. In 2022, they pictured a piece by a 16th-century artist from Florence, Italy, known as the Master of the Scandicci Lamentation. Today, the original painting is housed in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. In painting his Virgin and Child, the Master of the Scandicci Lamentation followed a number of traditions popular with such works at the time. Like other artists who painted religious themes, he gave the young Mary a red dress and blue mantle. These colors represented her high status as the mother of Christ as well as her purity, virginity, and royalty. In the 16th century, blue paint was usually made from lapis lazuli, a stone imported from Afghanistan. The color was reserved for only the most important figures in paintings. This particular Virgin and Child painting was owned by a number of famous individuals including the Tempi family. They sold it to Italian painter and art dealer Emilio Costantini in 1906. Then it was sold a number of other times before being left to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in the will of Mrs. Robert Dawson Evans. It is a relic of history and example of the fine skill of many Italian Renaissance painters. The condition of the stamp is as shown in the image and is suitable for paying postage or collecting.