ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, November 3, 1996 TAG: 9611040005
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
The U.S. Postal Service on Friday unveiled the 1996 Christmas stamp - an image of the Madonna and Child from an oil painting on display at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
It is the first U.S. postage stamp adapted from a Virginia Museum painting. It went on sale Saturday at area post offices and at the museum before going on sale elsewhere.
The stamp is a detail from the museum's larger 1712 pointing, ``The Adoration of the Shepherds,'' by Italian artist Paolo de Matteis. Philip Meggs, professor of communication arts and design at Virginia Commonwealth University, recommended the painting.
Meggs is a member of the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee, a group of 15 artists, historians and others, that recommends subjects for postage stamps to the postmaster general.
``I had always admired the light and color of this painting at the museum it had that very tender expression of mother and child. It had much more emotion than many paintings of the Madonna and Child. They're usually very stiff,'' Meggs said.
The full painting depicts the Madonna and Child with Joseph, shepherds, farm animals, angels and a girl with a basket of doves.
The museum bought the painting in 1979 with private funds.
- Associated Press
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