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Philatelic News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2002
Stamp Release #02-078
Renaissance Art Featured On This Year's Christmas Stamp
CHICAGO - The spirit of the holiday season is captured on this year's Christmas stamp featuring artist Jan Gossaert's "Madonna and Child." The new 37-cent stamp was issued by the U.S. Postal Service.The first day of issue ceremony took place today in the Arthur Rubloff Auditorium at The Art Institute of Chicago. The 2002 Christmas stamp is available at Chicago post offices today and at post offices nationwide starting tomorrow.
"The new Christmas stamp celebrates this important Christian holiday with good tidings for families, friends and customers, who look forward to the delivery of their holiday cards and letters," said Danny Jackson, Vice President of the Great Lakes Area for the Postal Service, who will dedicate the stamp.
Joining Jackson were Edward W. Horner, Jr., Executive Vice President, The Art Institute of Chicago; Martha Wolff, Curator of European Painting before 1750; Akinyinka O. Akinyele, U. S. Postal Service Lead Executive District Manager, Chicago District; and Eric D. Chavez, Postmaster, Chicago.
The Christmas stamps have attracted a devoted following since the first Christmas stamp was issued in 1961. Since 1966 the series has mostly featured renaissance paintings depicting the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus. The 2002 stamp highlights a detail of Jan Gossaert's oil-on-panel painting, "Madonna and Child," circa 1520, from the Charles H. and Mary F.S. Worcester Collection at The Art Institute of Chicago.
Jan Gossaert (circa 1478 to 1532) was a Netherlandish artist credited with being one of the first to bring the innovations of the Italian Renaissance to northern Europe. Specifically, he introduced a greater awareness of anatomy and architectural space to Netherlandish painting. Gossaert was a noted draftsman and painter.
Because Gossaert was a transitional figure in Northern Renaissance art, it is hard to classify him as a member of any single school or style of painting. He has been called a Romanist, Antwerp mannerist, and humanist. Gossaert, whose name is also spelled Gossart, is sometimes referred to as Mabuse or Jan Mabuse, the result of his occasionally having used the name of his hometown, Maubeuge (now in northern France), in signing his paintings.
Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Ariz.was designer and art director for the stamp.
To see the Christmas stamp, visit the Postal Service Web site at www.usps.com and locate the online version of this press release by clicking on "News and Events" then "Philatelic News."
Current U.S. stamps, as well as a free comprehensive catalog, are available toll free by calling 1 800 STAMP-24. In addition, a selection of stamps and other philatelic items are available in the Postal Store at www.usps.com.
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Since 1775, the U.S. Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. It is an independent federal agency that visits 137 million homes and businesses every day and is the only service provider to deliver to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of more than $65 billion, it is the world's leading provider of postal services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume-some 207 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year-and serves 7 million customers each day at its 40,000 retail locations nationwide.
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