Front:
Christmas USA 20c
CHINGTON
OCT
30
Filippo Lippi, National Gallery
1984
20066
TmGinma.
Back:
MADONNA AND CHILD
First Day of Issue: October 30, 1984
First Issue Location: Washington, D.C. 20066
Few things call Christmas to mind quite as readily as
Christmas trees, Santa Claus and snowy, starlit evenings.
Truly, these are the things that bring back cherished
memories of Christmases past. But, apart from colorful
packages, magnificent feasts and laughing children,
mankind can never forget the true and lasting meaning
of Christmas — the birth of Jesus in a humble stable in
Bethlehem. It is to this central theme of Christmas that
one of America's 1984 Christmas stamps pays tribute.
The painting featured on this stamp — displayed on this
Maximum Card — features the Madonna and Child by
renowned artist Fra Filippo Lippi of Florence, Italy. The
painting was completed on a wooden panel between
the years 1435 and 1440. It is a fine example of the
artist's style, which frequently depicted Madonnas as
introspective and the Christ Child as a plump, and playful
baby. This magnificent portrait is one of the world's most
cherished works and it is indeed a stirring subject for
one of America's 1984 Christmas stamps.
No. 84-48
©1984 The Maximum Card Collection
A Division of Unicover Corporation • Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007
Original painting by Tom Bjarnason.
