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Christmas Stamps 2003 begin Cycle devoted to the Life of St. Ursula
By Giorgio
Migliavacca  A set of three stamps and a souvenir sheet of four stamps were issued on 15 December 2003 by the British Virgin Islands Postal Administration to celebrate Christmas with the message "Peace on Earth". The stamps feature large portions of a large painting by Venetian painter Vittore Carpaccio (1472-1526) depicting the Arrival of the Ambassadors from the cycle of nine canvases narrating the life of St. Ursula the patron saint of the BVI. The cycle, completed between 1490 and 1496 for the Confraternity of St. Ursula in Venice is considered Carpaccio's finest work. The legend of Ursula and her 11,000 fellow maidens has inspired a large number of works of art, including, paintings, frescoes, statues, medals and coins. The most famous of them being the paintings by Bernardo Daddi, Carracci, Bernardo Strozzi, Carpaccio, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, the old masters of Cologne, and those of Memling at Bruges. Characterised by a magnificent architectural setting, Carpaccio's painting for the first segment of St. Ursula's legend shows the English Ambassadors from the pagan King of England asking Maurus, the Christian King of Brittany, the hands of his daughter, and at far right Ursula discussing the matter with her father, the King. Carpaccio's masterpiece in its many fascinating details has been captured by these beautiful BVI stamps and it is hoped that the BVI Postal Administration will complete the cycle of St. Ursula's paintings with future Christmas issues. Although not on a yearly basis, the BVI has issued Christmas stamps since 1973 and now the St. Ursula cycle provides a perfect incentive for making Christmas stamps a local tradition. The set of three stamps includes the following denominations: 20c., 40c., and $2.50 (CA Spiral watermark). These values are also included in the souvenir sheet (CA Spiral watermark inverted) with a supplementary $1.00 denomination. In the upper left section of each stamp is featured the cameo of the new portrait of Queen Elizabeth II that was first used on BVI stamps for last month's set of four stamps celebrating the Centenary of Powered Flight. Stamps, souvenir sheets and First Day Covers are on sale at the BVI Philatelic Bureau, GPO, Sir Olva Georges Plaza, Road Town. Copyrighted ©
2003 by SUN ENTERPRISES (B.V.I.) LTD. |
