Jean de Vos does Christmas (part 2)

Well, here we are, the festive season truly upon us, so here are a few more Christmas issues of Rwanda, with those engravings by Jean de Vos.


Last week I showed you some of the issues from the 1970s. They were rather classical in style. In the 1980s, the annual issues seemed to take on a slightly more modern twist; as if parts of the design were lifted out of the paintings and focused on.


More white therefore in the actual stamps. I must say that the result in general seems to work fine, with the detail and the subject matter being more obvious and easier to enjoy.


My favourite of the 'starker' ones is the 1982 engraving, which is Murillo's Rest during the Flight. By the way, as you will have gathered, the above are all proofs of the engraved part of the sheetlets!


But I think my favourite of the whole lot is the 1987 issue, which seems like a return to the old days. The stamp depicts Fra Angelico's Virgin and Child, and it is a beautiful engraving, and the chosen colour, too, works very well.

So who would have thought that stamps from Rwanda, which you might normally never have given a second's thought, can harbour so many engraved gems?!

:-)
Adrian