400th Birth Anniversary of Rubens (1577-1640)
Technical Data
| Date of Issue | April 4, 1978 |
|---|---|
| Denomination | Rs. 2 |
| Quantity | 2,000,000 |
| Perforation | comb 13 |
| Printer | Security Printing Press, Nashik |
| Watermark | No Watermark |
| Colors | Multicolor |
| Catalog Codes |
Michel IN 759 Stamp Number IN 796 Yvert et Tellier IN 555 Stanley Gibbons IN 886 |
| Themes | Anniversaries and Jubilees | Art | Artists | Painters | Paintings |
Peter Paul Rubens was born in 1577 and was renowned for his immense energy and dedication to his art. He developed one of the great schools of European painting, reminiscent of India’s Gurukula System. Rubens produced numerous masterpieces, including large frescos and canvases designed and conceived by him, which now adorn museums and galleries worldwide.
In addition to his artistic achievements, Rubens was a man of great accomplishment and compassion, serving as a diplomat of outstanding ability. Mr. Makaminan Makagiansar of the Directorate-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) spoke highly of Rubens, noting:
“Even though he was working for several royal households, Rubens always acted as a universal messenger of peace. He defended the pressures of the super-powers of his time. In Madrid, Paris, and London, he tried to prevent war and pleaded for a policy of negotiation and understanding. With a heartbreaking sense of reality, he expressed the horrors of war in his masterpiece of the Palazzo Pitti. With the same eloquence, he made the blessings of peace immortal in his painting of the Louvre. Genius of art, scholar, fighter for peace, these qualities make Rubens loved by people who believe in international understanding.”
The Indian Postal and Telegraph Departments felt privileged to honor Peter Paul Rubens, a great artist, diplomat, and humanist, by issuing a commemorative stamp on the 400th anniversary of his birth.