National Postal Museum

Philatelic Musings on Art: Record Auction Price for Giacometti Sculpture

 
Alberto Giacometti's Walking Man I--Source 

Well...You have to wonder what kind of person would spend more than one hundred million dollars on a work of art, specifically a sculpture just a bit more than half a century old. That being said, someone just paid 65 million British pounds, almost 105 million dollars for an iconic sculpture by Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti, "Walking Man I" (L'Homme Qui Marche I). This is now the highest price paid at auction for a work of art. (Rumor has it that works by Gustav Klimt, Jackson Pollack and Mark Rothko have been bought for more in private sales, but no one knows for sure.)

Let's face it; we are not talking about an artist who has stood the test of time such as Rubens, Velasquez, Caravaggio or even Picasso (the artist whose work previously held the auction record). Yes, Giacometti is widely regarded as one of the great artists of the 20th century; and yes, this is one of his most iconic figures. But 104.3 million dollars? And, this is not even a unique piece! A total of 10 casts of this sculpture were made, some during the life of the artist (including the item just sold, stamped 2/6, and some after his death). 

I suppose that as governments print more money, some individuals are deciding they should invest in tangibles such as art and other collectables. And I suppose, if you are going to buy a work of art by a particular artist, buy the best you can. 

In the philatelic realm, Alberto Giacometti was honored on a French postage stamp in 1985. Along with human figures he sculpted many of other subjects such as animals, and it is two of these that are on this stamp. View other important sculptures on worldwide stamps here.

In case anyone wishes to evaluate the sculpture just purchased in order to decide if it is truly worth the price, take a trip to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art just outside Copenhagen, Denmark. It is a pleasant 30 minute train ride from the city, and a remarkable museum founded by one individual, Knud Jensen. There, in a quiet room with a beautiful view of a garden, you will find the exact same sculpture. You can walk up and examine it from one inch away if you please. Incidently, the Giacometti sculpture that held the previous auction record for this artist was "Big Standing Woman II", sold in 2008 for $27.4 million. An example of that piece sits across the room from the new auction king. Mr. Jensen had quite an eye for art, and there are a few thousand other masterpieces in his museum. Click on any image in this post to see an enlarged view.

Mark H. Haimann, MD

Celebrating American Artist Norman Rockwell's 116th Birthday...February 3, 1894

   
  © United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

 

Today, February 3, 2010 marks Norman Rockwell's 116th birthday. Rockwell, the well-known illustrator of Saturday Evening Post covers beginning in 1916 at the age of twenty-two, serves as a prime example of an artist who used his art to honor ‘main street’ America. Rockwell's artistic talents were apparent at a very young age as he attended art classes in New York City, then the National Academy of Design, and finally the Art Students League.

Richard Sheaff, an art director at the Postal Service in 1993, wrote an inscription that appeared on the Norman Rockwell postage stamp souvenir sheet when the design and text was first released to the press in December of 1993. Sheaff wrote, “For half a century, artist Normal Rockwell captured the essence of the American pageant in his paintings of common folk in everyday scenes…” His statement accurately describes Rockwell’s art displaying the emotion and character of Americans from soldiers to astronauts. Stamp designers selected this art to celebrate not only Rockwell himself, but also the people of America.

Rockwell's Four Freedoms

 © United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

In his 1941 State of the Union address President Roosevelt outlined what he considered four freedoms that distinguish Americans: the freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and the freedom from fear. Rockwell, determined to help his country, decided to depict these ideas in his art. In his autobiography, the artist stated, “I’ll illustrate the four freedoms using my Vermont neighbors as models. I’ll express the ideas in simple, everyday scenes.”

Richard Sheaff designed the 1994 Rockwell stamp issue and the accompanying four-stamp souvenir sheet which features Rockwell’s Four Freedoms paintings. These four pieces are considered to be some of Rockwell's best work, and they are popular worldwide. Their popularity made them ideal subjects for stamps honoring the artist. To make the souvenir sheet, Sheaff had to crop some of the paintings to fit them into the stamp.

© United States Postal Service. All rights reserved. 

The “Freedom from Fear” painting lost its bottom section depicting the bedroom floor. The left side of the “Freedom of Speech” painting showing other faces in the audience was removed. Additionally, small sections at the top of the “Freedom of Speech” painting and the “Freedom of Worship” painting were cropped for use on the stamps. The designer also moved Rockwell’s signature around in the four works, assuring that it would be clearly visible. He wanted the artist to receive his deserved commemoration.

Discover other American Artists and Art on postage stamps here.

Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven First Published...January 29, 1845

 
© United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
 

Once upon a midnight dreary 165 years ago, while he pondered weak and weary, Edgar Allen Poe authored one of the most famous poems of all time, The Raven. The timeless work was published on January 29, 1845, and it received immediate critical acclaim and success. Edgar Allan Poe has been honored on two different U.S. postage stamps. The first stamp was issued on October 7, 1949, the 100th anniversary of Poe's death. The second stamp featuring the famous American poet and writer was issued January 16, 2009, close to the 200th anniversary of Poe's birth. Explore other poets featured on worldwide postage stamps here.

Guest Post: Canadian-US Joint Issues Tell Tales Across Borders

Charles Verge is the author of The 1959 St. Lawrence Seaway Joint Issue and its Invert and the recipient of many philatelic recognitions and awards.

Please note: Mr. Verge was scheduled to speak at the museum but the lecture and webcast were CANCELED due to inclement weather. Stay tuned as we plan to re-schedule the lecture for spring or summer 2009.

Although they may lack physical beauty and monetary value, the 1959 St. Lawrence Seaway Opening stamps have tales to tell. Issued in both the US and Canada, hundreds of the Canadian versions of the stamps contained a printing error in which elements of the stamp are “inverted” in relation to one another. In a tale of intrigue and mystery, inverts were stolen, lost and recovered. Rumours circulated about how many, if any, were given to Queen Elizabeth II for The Royal Philatelic Collection. The lengths people went to in order to recover the “Inverts” they had posted is also a fascinating facet of the story.

Notice something wrong here?

By Sled or by Sail: Native American Mail Carrier John Beargrease

 
Courtesy Bay Area Historical Society

There are many legendary star route mail carriers but there is probably only one that has a sled dog race named after them. The 27th running of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon will take place in Minnesota January 31th thru February 3, 2010.

John Beargrease was not the first mail carrier on the north shore of Minnesota, but he is perhaps the most famous. The first mail contract to deliver the mail from Superior, Wisconsin to Grand Portage, Minnesota was awarded in 1856.

Celebrating President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 128th Birthday....January 30, 1882

Today marks the birthday of probably the most famous American stamp collector to ever live. It should also be noted that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was one of America's most important and beloved Presidents. Roosevelt, first elected to the Oval Office in 1932, has the distinction of being the only President to serve more than two terms in office. His administration covered two of the most troubling periods in American history, the Great Depression and World War II. Most important to world history, Roosevelt's leadership during World War II propelled America and its allies to victory over Germany and Japan.

Remembering The Space Shuttle Challenger & Its Crew....January 28, 1986

© United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
 

On January 28th, 1986, at 11:39 AM EST, America watched as the space shuttle Challenger disintegrated just 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board.

From Time To Time: The State of the Union Address...January 27, 2010

Tonight, January 27, 2010, at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, President Barack Obama will present his first official State of the Union Address. This address will fulfill one of the responsibilities outlined for the President in Article II Section 3 of the Constitution: “He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient..”

 
Caption: 1939 Washington Inauguration Issue & 1954 Liberty Issue Washington Stamp

Philatelic Musings On Art: Picasso's Painting "The Actor" Damaged In NYC

Well, if you are going to fall into a painting, make sure it is an important one, be certain to just hit the edge, and do it in a prominent museum. 

This might explain the accidental injury to a well known Picasso at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City last Friday. An elderly visitor accidentally fell into "The Actor", a hauntingly beautiful painting by the most famous, and arguably the most talented, painter of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso. I'm not sure what excuse this visitor had for this accident. At least when Mr. Steve Wynn struck one of his Picasso paintings a few years ago, we all understood since he has retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive retinal disease that has left him with extreme tunnel vision (He accidentally thrust his hand through his painting while gesticulating about it to a friend). Read more about last friday's incident here.

"The Actor" (1904) is from the artist's so called "Rose Period". A few years earlier (1901) Picasso lost one of his closest friends to suicide and thereafter his style became quite sad and melancholy...his so called "Blue Period". The color blue predominated in his work of this time, and the paintings also show his move from a classical style to a more modern theme.

Around 1904 Picasso's art became less melancholy and his palette brightened quite a bit, thus the term "Rose Period". The damaged painting, "The Actor" is a wonderful example of this period. I am unable to find it reproduced on any stamp, but there is a typical Rose Period piece on a stamp (shown below) from the Maldives, "Two Harlequins", 1904.

USPS Honors John Hotchner

Souvenir tribute card for John Hotchner’s twelve years on CSAC created by USPS's Terry McCaffrey

The USPS and Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) honored John M. Hotchner on January 21, 2010, at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Hotchner served the committee for twelve years, helping select topics for postage stamps and providing input on stamp designs.

Postmaster General John E. Potter, Marie Therese Dominguez, David Failor, and Terry McCaffrey of the USPS, and Jean Picker Firstenberg, CSAC Chair, expressed deep gratitude and presented Hotchner with tributes and awards. Hotchner is a member of the NPM Council of Philatelists, a past president of the American Philatelic Society, and one of the most prolific authors in the hobby of stamp collecting.

John M. Hotchner and PMG John E. Potter