Issue date: 13 Oct, 2006
World-renowned artist Pablo Picasso, and the Museum that carries his name, housed in the striking Buenavista Palace in Malaga, the city in which the painter was born, are the subjects of a new block of stamps created for the World Philatelic Exhibition 2006. As well as spreading the fame of the Picasso Museum around the world, these stamps are meant as a tribute to this great genius of world art, one of 20th century Malaga’s most illustrious sons, and the immense body of work he created.
Picasso was born in Malaga in 1881 and his early years hold close associations with the city. It was here that he first experienced the effects of light and colour, the rich shades of blue of both sea and sky and the dazzling yellow of the sun. These early sensations of colour undoubtedly permeated his painting and stayed with him as a permanent and constant remainder of his roots to the end of his life. The World Philatelic Exhibition pays tribute to an exceptional artist and craftsman with a stamp carrying his photograph. Buenavista Palace, a 16th century building in the Renaissance style which now houses the Picasso Museum, has since its foundation been the home of the important donation which Christine and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso made to the city of Malaga in order to ensure that the artist’s work could be permanently on show in the city. This generous and judicious donation was supported by the Autonomous Government of Andalusia and led to the creation of the Museum as it can be seen today. With their splendid donation of more than 200 works spanning the artist’s entire career from his early academic work through to some of his last paintings in the 1960s, Picasso’s heirs wanted his creations to be preserved, exhibited, promoted and studied for the delight and enrichment of all the citizens of Malaga and the wider public at large. Thus, as well as ensuring that Picasso’s oeuvre would once more be appreciated after the artist had spent so long outside his native country, they underlined the links with the city of his birth. The Picasso Museum will unquestionably make Picasso once more an integral part of Malaga and help to keep his memory and creative output alive. The block of stamps showing the Picasso Museum has been designed by the Jesús Sánchez studio and it includes images of the patio of columns and a portrait of Picasso himself, taken from photos by Roberto Otero and Ana Muller.
Rate A - €0.75. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, up to 20 g.
Rate A2 - €0.85. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, between 20 g and 50 g.
Rate B - €1.65. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to Europe (including Greenland), up to 20 g.
Rate C - €1.75. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the rest of the world (except USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand), up to 20 g.
Rate D - €2.10. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, up to 20 g.