Christmas stamps from Malta

Hi ! The winter is knocking the door and it's the month of Christmas. People all over the world are waiting eagerly for this beautiful festival. In today's Post some recent issues on Christmas from Malta which were issued on 27th November 2008. The stamps feature three nativity paintings from the National Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta . Here are the three beautiful stamps. We also want to inform our members that December issue of Rainbow Stamp News is a bit delayed as we are going through the transition period. It will be released very shortly. Once again sorry to those who are not receiving response of their mail. I will be soon back to my mail box and reply all your mails. In our regular series some nice FDCs from the collection of our distinguished member Mr. Shrikant Parikh. This is all for today !..... Till next Post...... Have a Nice Time !.....

The stamp designs

The €0.19 stamp reproduces a painting by Francesco Trevisani (1656-1746) - “Madonna and Child with infant St John the Baptist”. Francesco Trevisani was one of the major late baroque Italian artists active in Rome during his time. He was patronised by high-ranking cardinals and worked for important personalities such as the Duke of Modena for whom he produced copies after works by the great masters. His style is strongly influenced by Carlo Maratta, the author of the painting featured in another stamp of this set. The painting originally, in the Grandmaster’s Palace, was transferred to the museum in 1950.

The second stamp, denominated to €0.26 is a Nativity panel by Maestro Alberto (XVth Century, Northern Italian). This is a detail from a painting on panel featuring the Nativity of Christ. In this detail, the Virgin and Christ child take centre stage in front of a makeshift shed where St Joseph rests. One of two unidentified personalities, wearing 15th century contemporary costume kneels in homage. Little is known of the artist who signs as Alberto on a cartouche hanging to a support of the shed behind the Virgin. He is definitely a 15th century painter working in the Early Renaissance style. Hierarchy and importance is still however hinted through scale and size as in medieval tradition. The painting may have been commissioned by a Milanese patron as suggested by the emblem of the Sforza family seen on the left leg of one a figure included in another part of the painting. It was donated to the nation via a bequest of Mrs. Emilia Zammit Clapp in 1922.

The painting in the €0.37 and third stamp entitled “Virgin and Child with Infant St John the Baptist” was mastered by Carlo Maratta (1625-1713). Carlo Maratta was a prominent baroque painter active in Rome where he ran an art studio. Maratta was well sought-after for his portraiture and was patronized by important personalities of his times such as Pope Alexander VII (former Inquisitor of Malta, Fabio Chigi) for whom he produced numerous commissions. The painting originally belonged to the Grandmaster’s Palace Collection. According to former Curator of Fine Arts Vincenzo Bonello, this painting originally had an ornate frame bearing the coat-of-arms of Queen Christina of Sweden.
Courtesy - Hellmail

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