Picture story from kiss to conception on postage stamps (2)

In this two-part article, I have deliberately included a number of maximum cards alongside stamps that show only a fragment of the original artwork. The enlarged images provide meaningful additional visual information, which increases the value of the stamp and allows my inventory to be better appreciated in terms of content. Much of the information in both articles regarding the various stamps cannot be found in an encyclopedia, as is common in many stamp blog articles. In these articles, the stamp truly plays the leading role, giving words to numerous unseen facets of the stamp, while also enriching its meaning.

Part 2: Picture story from kiss to conception

Spicy Danaë from Greek mythology

With the piquant pictured Danae from Greek mythology gives Rembrandt an image of a naked woman on a beautiful bed in an underlit bedroom. The erected, the partner welcoming hand refers in the same direction as the gaze of Danaë and her guarding maidservant. The place from where they await the approaching lover. According to the mythological story, Zeus deceives Danaë's guarding handmaiden by in concealing form of the golden rain to penetrate the sleeping chamber. Rembrandt depicts Zeus's presence through otherworldly light that 'luxuriously sweeps light and dark over the face and body'. From their union a son is born, who later fulfills the oracle's prophecy. He murders his father, King Akrisios! The king, warned by the oracle, locks his daughter in a tower 'to prevent' her from doing so, so that she would remain chaste. A bound and weeping Cupid above Danaë's face symbolizes this decision. These decorations make Danaë even more attractive to the supreme god Zeus from Greek mythology! Under the guise of a religious, mythological, or classical story, a realistic nude was formerly hung clearly visible as an acceptable decoration, without batting an eyelid, to adorn a room. With such a work of art, the owner showcased his intellectual background. According to the double standard, the visualization of a sublime mythological story in a contemporary, recognizable world is more important than the image itself. spicy paintings were then stored in a cupboard. Only the selected few were allowed such pornographic paintings to see!

Feigned sadness / Discovered false virtue

Love also possesses unattractive facets. The aristocratic upper class in the 18th century (century of decline) possessed a sense of satisfaction regarding what had been achieved socially and societally. Blissful idleness, frivolous pleasure and immorality For this group, it was the ultimate ideal that had to be experienced without restraint and, above all, enjoyed without limits. Former actor Cornelis Troost (1696 -1750) painted insincere, hypocritical sadness and grief from plays. From the farce 'The Undiscovered Pseudovirtue' by David Lindelberg, he depicts, among others, the eleventh scene, 'Feigned Sadness'. Adulterer Geertruy feigns sadness (wiping away crocodile tears with a large cloth) as she bids farewell to her husband Filibert. He is about to leave with his servant Joris for a multi-day business trip. Just before departure, he discovers that Geertruy is cheating on him with his cousin and financier Volkert! Filibert certainly does not look happy. The maid Bely (standing behind Geertruy) mocks the cheated husband by holding two fingers to her head like a cuckold.

Love reinforcement ? / !

The program naughty cupid figurine (Étienne Maurice Falconet, nvph 1902) with outstretched wings sits on a cloud, which is placed on a round plinth, standing on a column as a pedestal. With the 'shhh gesture' with the index finger to his mouth mischievous smiling face the white marble Cupid figure reaches with the other hand for an arrow from the quiver. In an exquisitely appealing manner, a allusion to love depicted, which is further enhanced by a blooming rose branch on the cloud. A line of verse by the French poet Voltaire on the pedestal reinforces the impending love: “Whoever you are, here is your master. He is, was, or will be!” The Cupid statue was intended for the mistress Madame de Pompadour of King Louis XV (1754–1793), who died under the guillotine during the French Revolution.

Fashion model Doutzen Kroes

Former model 2005 Doutzen Kroes (1985) represents in a contemporary way as allegorical top example model scantily clad, unvarnished and natural fashion and muse in ten black-and-white photos (nvph 3462) by photographer Anton Corbijn. Through differences in size, the blue circles refer to the importance and diversity of fashion themes. On the first stamp, with raised arms, she represents (through imagery) in a playfully creative way not only fashion & muse, but also, in a figurative sense, the sublime ideal image of a top model, unattainable for many (the blue letter 'o' belongs to one of the largest circles!).

Heavenly beauty (anonymous Indian sculpture 12th century)

The temples of khajuraho (India) are richly supplied with erotic sculpture. This one heavenly beauty (with a fly fan above her head) served as the crowning of a column in the temple hall. The woman / temple servant swats away a small monkey pulling at her loincloth. Impressions of her nails lover / ruler on her temple and in her shoulder betrayed that she was just moments ago in company (ritual community). In early Indian sculpture, the female temple figures possess a strong Erotically oriented beauty through scanty clothing, provocatively rounded forms, graceful curves, and wide-hipped nudity.

Petrified Love's Kiss by Auguste Rodin

For the sculpture group 'The Kiss' (nvph 1432) let sculptor Rodin to be inspired by the love story by the Italian writer/poet Dante (1265–1321) about Paola and Francesca. The story is taken from 'La divina commedia' (The Divine Comedy) about the journey to the afterlife via hell and purgatory. The couple can no longer control themselves. mutual love drove them into each other's arms and made love, but they were caught in the adultery Francesca was committing. The young woman embraces the young Paola with tender devotion, who rests his hand on Francesca's left thigh. Both persons have reciprocally respect for their living bodies. There is a great contrast between the smoothly polished bodies and the raw marble block on which the couple sits (and from which the couple is finally 'freed'). The Movement-rich body shapes become visible through the light-dark effect. Shapes, movement, and lighting support, reinforce, and complement each other in a fleeting moment of action. The naked appearance of both figures refers to the idealistic classical sculpture of the Greeks and Romans. With this sculpture, Rodin depicts the earthly desire and heavenly love, while graphic designer Robert Nakata depicts the time of a train traveler's meeting or farewell at Amsterdam Central Station using a station clock, the canopy of which is visible.

The Jewish bride

According to insiders, in few paintings is the Jewish Bride by Rembrandt (1665) as prominent as love between man and woman with so much reverence, awe and subtle intimacy depicted. The hand gestures alongside the facial expressions are striking and eloquent. The light seems to emanate from within the figures. It is most likely a wedding portrait of two Sephardic Jews, representing Isaac and Rebecca or Ruth and Boaz as figures from the Old Testament.

Click on the image to enlarge

Paid love (In luxury look to Jan Steen)

In the center of the painting sits a lady with sparkling eyes in a satin dress with a low neckline, holding a wine carafe in her right hand (exactly at the level of the man's crotch). She offers the lover, who rests a leg on her knee, a glass of wine. This 'gentleman' attempts, while talking, to swindle a lady from her money while sitting to his right behind her, with which he later the paid love can pollinate. The edifying words of the hunchbacked man with a duck on his shoulder (reading from the Bible) are wasted on the promiscuousl. At the feet of the nun (with a lecturing gesture) sits a pig with roses: pearls before swine! The mother sits sleeping with her hands folded to the left of her daughter, thereby neglecting her household. Everything is getting out of hand, truly a household of Jan steen.

Spiritual fusion

In addition to the physical is there also a spiritual fusion, which is depicted by the two overlapping heads of two lovers. The heart stands central, literally and figuratively, in the common space. The relation which radiates heat symbolizes the exchange of thoughts, thinking of one another, and the exchange of feelings.

Life-saving kiss

The First Aid stamp (nvph 1548) shows the kiss of life of the rescuer with a colorful, lively face and the pale face of the victim. Between the two persons lies a perforation, serving as a boundary between life and death.

And finally

An expert philatelist, who reviewed a portion of the accompanying article texts, characterized my approach to, execution of, and wording regarding stamps as romantic and poetic: “How do you, as a reader, experience this subject of stamps in both articles?”