Paul von Szinyeiv-Merse - Lovers

Paul von Szinyeiv Merse (1845-1920) - Lovers (1870)
Hungary Stamp issued 1967
Painting Held at the Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest

This painting is typical of Szinyeiv Merse, as it captured upper middle class people in idealised settings in the prosperous countryside.  Merse was one of the earlier impressionist artists of Hungary and Central Europe.  After being trained in Munich, Germany, he was a politician as well as an artist of Hungary.  Another Merse painting is also on this Blog: Lady in a Purple Dress .

George Nissky - Moscow Suburb in February

George Nissky - Moscow Suburb FebruaryПодмосковье февраля
USSR Russia Stamp Issued 1967

This painting from 1957 captures a stereotypical scene from a sleepy suburb in the middle of winter, where this is very minimal human movement and cool northern light.  This is typical of George Nisskiy's work - you can imagine these scenes on the front of boring greeting cards.  The painting is now held at the collection for the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, and it is one of many stamps that depicted art scenes from famous Russian collections.

Louis Le Nain - Adoration of the Shepherds

Louis le Nain (1593-1648) - Adoration of the Shepherds (circa 1640)

Great Britain Stamp issued 1967

Held at the UK National Gallery 

 Louis le Nain was one of three brothers who were famous for depicting common scenes from peasant life, during a time when many artists were painting scenes of excessive richness and plentitude in other parts of Europe.  This religious scene made it to a Christmas stamp in the UK in 1967.

Tatyana Yablonskaya - Sacking Grain

Tatyana Yablonskaya (1917-2006) - Sacking Grain (1949)

Russia Stamp Issued 1967

Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

This painting screams joy - telling us about the pleasant existence that communist people must have wanted to experience under the idealogies of the communist in the Soviet Union.  The nature of these scenes are similar to those depicted in Chinese propaganda scenes of the same era - farm people having a wonderful time, frollicking around in the wonderful sunshine while also attaining new levels of productivity, where there would be lots of food for everyone....  

Vasily Surikov - The Boyarynia Morozova

 Васи́лий Ива́нович Су́риков Vasily Srikov (1848-1916) - Boyarynia Morozova (1887)

Russia Stamp issued 1967

Tretyakov Gallery

This is a historical painting which depicts a "boyarynia", or woman of high nobility, being dragged through the narrow streets of Moscow, after having started a rebellion against the ruling czars of Russia in 1671.  This is a typical work for this artist who is best known as a historical painter.  The painting is large and it carries a high level of detail for this tragic character of Russian history.  To this day, Morozova is hailed as a martyr by some communities in Russia.

Ilya Repin - Arrest of a Progandist

Arrest of the Propagandist 1889 - Ilya Repin (1844-1930)

Russia Stamp Issued 1967

Tretyakov Gallery Moscow Russia

Repin was a leading Russian painter and sculptor of the Peredvizhniki artistic school.  This artist's works were ground breaking as they were a predecessor to the large number of Socialist Realism works that became popular and acceptable in the Soviet Union and Russia in the 20th Century.  The artist had a versatile career with many works having religious or mythical themes, while other works included portraits or depictions of historical events.


This painting depicts the mood of the time.  It was completed shortly after the death of Tsar Alexander II who brought about some reforms for the release of serfs in Russia, although his overall record was also one of suppression in order to prevent more radical social change.  The Tsar survived several assassination attempts before finally being killed by terrorists in a bomb in 1882.

Boris Ioganson - Interrogation of the Communists

Boris Ioganson (1893-1973)  - Interrogation of the Communists (1933) 

Russia Stamp Issued 1967

Tretyakov Gallery Moscow

This is another example of socialism realism art being depicted in stamps by the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War in the 1960s.   The interrogated figures are calm and in control.  

The artist retained positions of power in the art world during his career, becoming the head of the Tretyakov Gallery in 1954, while eventually becoming the President of the USSR Academy of Arts from 1961 to 1964.  Socialist realism art obviously paid off during the Cold war.

Ivan Aivazovsky - Seashore

(Иван Константинович Айвазовский)  Ivan Aivazovsky (1819-1900) - Seashore. 1840. Oil on canvas. 

Russia Stamp Issued 1967

Held at The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

Aivazovsky's work has an uncanny similarity to some of the works of Turner in Britain, as both were very comfortable with dramatic and realistic seascapes with tall ships in moody weather.  This artist spent a great deal of time in Constantinople with many of his works now exhibited in Turkey, the Ukraine and Russia.  He was born of Armenian parent and worked for much of his time in coastal Crimea.  He was also commissioned as an artist for the Russian Navy.

Michail Wrubel - Swan Carewna

Michail Wrubel (1856-1910) - Swan Carewna (1900)

Russia Stamp issued 1967

Tretyakov Gallery, Russia

This stamp depicts painting of the wife of this artist, Nedezhda Zabela - she was a famous opera singer in Moscow at the time when this painting was completed.  Vrubel was a key player in the Russian symbolist artistic movement. 

The artist gained some notoriety in future depictions of demons and spirits - this style is partially reflected in this stamp.  He suffered a nervous breakdown within a few years of completing the painting in 1900.

Vasili Andreevich - The Lace Maker

Василий Андреевич Тропинин Vasili Andreevich Tropinin (1776-1857) - The Lace Maker (1823)

Russian Stamp issued 1967

Held in the Tretyakov Gallery, Russia

Tropinin was a gifted serf who managed to embark on an artistic career in his 20s, although he did not obtain his freedom until he was almost 40 years old.  He lived in the Ukraine for over 20 years early in his career.

This painting is one of three of his most important works and it was painted shortly after he got his freedom and was living in Moscow.  He became an important and respected romantic portrait artist, completing over 3000 portraits during his life.

George Stubbs - Grey Stallion with Mares and Foals

George Stubbs (1724-1806) - Grey Stallion with Mares and Foals (1768)

Great Britain Stamp 9d Issued 1967

Painting held at the Tate Britain

This fellow was a legend in the art of drawing horses, after having spent 18 dubious months of his life carrying out a large number of dissections of horses, in order to learn about their anatomy.  This painting is one of many under this genre, and it was completed in 1768.

George Stubbs also painted other works of English landscapes and animals, but it is best known for his depictions of horses.  He sometimes painted these animals on a blank background, which was somewhat unusual for the time - his most famous work is probably Whistle Jacket.

L.S. Lowry - Children Coming Out Of School

L.S. Lowry (1887-1976) - Children Coming out of School (1927)

Great Britain Stamp issued 1967

20th Century Painting Series

Lawrence Stephen Lowry secretly held down a day job, while also being a famous painter during his lifetime, living around the Manchester area of England in the 20th Century.  This stamp was issued while we was still alive.  His works depict working class life in the north of England during the height of the industrial revolution. The Lancashire Local History website gives a lot more information about this artist.

Bartolome Murillo - Madonna in the Clouds

Bartolome Murillo (1617-1682) - Madonna in the Clouds (1656-1660)

British 4d Stamp issued 1967

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Murillo was born into a family with thirteen siblings.  He grew up in Seville, which was a major trading city in Spain at the time, and it is thought that he was influenced by the popular Flemish painters.  He was most famous for his religious paintings, although he also completed a large number of paintings that captured contemporary Spanish life.  In 1642, he moved to Madrid, where he learned more about the works of Velazquez.  

Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) - Master Lambton

Master Lambton (1825) - Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830)
Great Britain Stamp issued 1967
Private Collection

This portrait is also known as "Red Boy" and it was widely acclaimed during an exhibition in Paris in 1827.  Thomas Lawrence was a child prodigy, and he earned enough money to support his family from the age of 10.  He never married, although he had several public affairs, as his career was very accomplished.  He earned the custom of the Prince Regent, who would later become King George IV from 1820 to 1830.  While working for the Prince Regent, he completed portraits of many famous people in Europe, including Pope Pius VII - these works were destined for Windsor Castle.

Lawrence is one of the most famous romantic portrait artists of the regency age. This painting was completed for Lord Durham, who was a mining magnate at the time the work was   commissioned.  It is a painting of Lord Durham's son.