Diego Velazquez - Old Woman Frying Eggs

Diego Velazquez (1599-1660)  - Old Woman Frying Eggs (1618)
Fujeira Stamp issued 1980
National Gallery of Scotland

This is one of this artists earlier works in his career - a realistic portrayal of a scene that would not normally be painted by artists during this time.  Later in his career, Velazquez would go onto become of the most important artists to Spanisk King Philip IV's royal court, and his works would be influential and coped by future artists such as Picasso and Francis Bacon in the 20th Century.

Another of his paintings has been depicted on a Panama Stamp: The Forge of Vulcan.

Alexey Venetsianov - Harvesting

Alexey Venetsianov (1780-1847) -  Harvesting (1827).
Russia USSR Stamp Issued 1980
Summer. 1827. Oil on canvas. The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

Although Venetsianov did not gain a high profile from the academics in the arts community, he did enjoy relative success as an artist after a public service career from the early 1800s to 1819.  Tsar Nicholas I commissioned him for works.  The artist dies in a horse carriage accident when his carriage plunged down a cliff in 1847.  Another of his works "Oh Father's Dinner" has also been used on USSR stamps.

Prospero Fantana - Holy Family with St Jerome

Prospero Fontana - Holy Family with St Jerome, a female martyr and the infant St John the Baptist (1552)

Australia 28c Stamp issued 1980

Held in the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia

This impressive painting is thought to have been completed by Fontana while employed by Pope Julius III in the 1550s.  The artist had a long career in his native Bologna, Genoa, Florence and Rome.  The painting's figures are closely embraced to each other and interacting in a very personal manner.

St Jerome is also depicted in this painting, probably because he was responsible for the establishment of a hospice in Bethlehem in the 4th Century, in order to welcome pilgrams to the holy land.  He got up to quite a bit during his life, being fully devoted to the church.  He is also known for translating the bible into Latin.

Justin O'Brien - Virgin Enthroned

Justin O'Brien (1917-1996) - Virgin Enthroned (1951)

Australia 15c Stamp issued 1980

Painting Held at the Art Gallery of NSW

Justin O'Brien was born in south western Sydney in an Irish Catholic family, thus explaining the religious nature of art that was depicted in this stamp for Christmas 1980.  His art was the subject of a retrospective exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW in 2011.  The artist was a prolific producer of art during his career, in addition to spending time as a teacher in Sydney prior to heading off to Rome in the latter period of his life.

Alexey Savrasov - Rainbow

Alexey Savrasov (1830-1897) Алексе́й Кондра́тьевич Савра́сов -  Rainbow (1875) 

Russia Stamp issued in 1980

 The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

This is the second landscape painting that has been depicted in a Russian stamp for the artist Savrasov.  The painter was the son of a merchant - he schooled in Moscow and traveled extensively around Europe during his career.  The artist's daughter died in the 1870s and the artist eventually lost his way, becoming an alcoholic and dying as a pauper many years later.  However, much of his work is in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Fujishima Takeji - Black Fan

Fujishima Takeji (1867-1943) - Black Fan (1908)

Japan 50 yen Stamp issued July 7, 1980

Modern Art Series

Painting held at the Bridgestone Museum of Art, Tokyo

This is a Western style painting, although the painter was Japanese.  Takeji travelled to the National School of Fine Arts in Paris from 1905-1910, where he developed a Western style of painting.  After 1910 he continued to live and work in Tokyo at the Tokyo Art School.

This painting is now housed in a museum in Tokyo that was founded by the founder of the Bridgestone tyre company.

Kaburagi Kiyokata - Leaf

Kaburagi Kiyokata 鏑木清方  (1873-1972) - "Leaf" 

Japanese Stamp Issued 1980

Modern Art Series

Kaburagi lived a colourful and long life during a period of huge social and political change in Japan.  This painting was commissioned in 1940 at the height of his artistic career, as was a member of the Art Committee for the Imperial Household in Tokyo.  

He is credited with being part of the revival of the 'bijinga' style of painting and printing in Japan during the 20th Century.   This genre calls for the classic depiction of Japanese women in classical style, often wearing a kimono.

His former house has been converted into a really quaint little museum in true Japanese style.

Robert Harris - A Meeting of the School Trustees

Robert Harris - A Meeting of the School Trustees (1885)

Canadian 17c Stamp Issued 1980 Canada

This painting depicts some of the difficulties of life experienced by people in isolated areas of Canada in the late 19th Century.  School teacher Kate Henderson is having a confrontation with the local school trustee board in a local school on Prince Edward Island in Canada.  

Robert Harris, a Canadian artist immortalised this event which has come to represent part of Canadian folklore - it shows some of the difficulties encountered when trying to live in isolated communities.  This artist also painted "The Fathers of Confederation", the original painting that depicted the conference that settled the basics of a union of the British North American Provinces (i.e. Canada). 

Lucius O'Brien - Sunrise on the Saguenay, Cape Trinity

Sunrise on the Saguenay, Cape Trinity   1880 - Lucuis O'Brien (1832-1899)

Canadian Stamp issued 1980

From the National Gallery of Canada

This painting depicts a scene where nature is huge in comparison to people in the landscape.  O'Brien painted many scenes of Canada in the 19th Century, mainly in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.  His skillfully manipulates light in many of his works- the landscapes often have a hint of the surreal.

The stamp is one of three that were issued to commemorate the centenary of the Royal Academy of Arts in Canada.

Thomas Fuller - Design for Parliament Buildings, Ottawa

Thomas Fuller (1822-1898) - Design for Parliament Buildings, Ottawa, 1859

Canadian 35c Stamp Issued 1980 Canada

Royal Academy of Arts Issue

This stamp was part of a series to celebrate the centenary of the Royal Academy of Arts for Canada.  Thomas Fuller sketched this drawing, but he is more famous for his work as a architect in Canada - he designed the Parliament Buildings for Canada, which were occupied from 1865 to 1915, before being destroyed by fire - this was originally suspected to be a German plot, according to Australian newspapers at the time: 

Extract from The Argus, Feb 5, 1916:

FIRE AT OTTAWA - PARLIAMENT HOUSE BURNING.

German Plot Suspected.

News reached London from Ottawa at an early hour this morning that the Dominion House of Parliament was on fire.

The library has been destroyed, and the fire at latest was still defying the efforts of the firemen to control it.

Two explosions were heard after the outbreak was observed. It is suspected that the fire is the result of a German plot.

Mr. Martin Burrell, Minister for Agriculture, sustained burns on the hands and face.

Konstantin Flavitsky - Princess Tarakanova, in the Peter and Paul Fortress at the Time of the Flood

Konstantin Flavitsky (1830-1866) - Princess Tarakanova, in the Peter and Paul Fortress at the Time of the Flood 

Russia 6k Stamp Issued 1980

Painting held in Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

This painting is an artistic impression of the last moments of Princess Tarakanova, meaning the Princess of Cockroaches.  She was imprisoned after being exposed as an imposter of a member of the Russian royal family while travelling in Tuscany.  Although legend has it that she died in a flood in 1777, it is more likely that she was executed in 1775. This painting was completed in 1864.  Light shafts through the window of the Peter and Paul fortress as the water rises - it will eventually capture this troubled 22 year old woman - the tragedy is immediate and realistic.

The painting was completed in 1864.

Martiros Sarian - Old Yerevan

Martiros Sarian (1880-1972) - Old Yerevan

Russian 6k Stamp issued 1980

Armenian: Մարտիրոս Սարյան

Born in Armenia, Sarian went to be trained in Moscow School of Arts at the turn of the 20th Century.  Sarian was heavily influenced by Henry Matisse and Paul Gauguin, with this painting being completed in 1928.

This work depicts Yerevan, which is the capital city of Armenia.  The painter lived to an old age in this city and his former home has has apparently been turned into a museum with hundreds of his works.

Nikolai Nevrev - The Market

НИКОЛАЙ НЕВРЕВ. Торг. Сцена из крепостного быта. Из недавнего прошлого

Nikolai Nevrev (1830-1904) - The Market

Russian 6k Stamp Issued 1980

to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of his birth

This is the most famous painting from Nevrev, as it depicts a market where serfs were being sold as slaves.  The painting was completed in 1866, shortly after serfdom was abolished in Russia.  The painter was critical of the church in other parts of his work.  

This is one of a series of four art related stamps that were issued in Russia in 1980.