I Study...Decaris' Marianne

Marianne is a national symbol of the Republic of France. She is the personification of liberty and reason, and she is often portrayed as the Goddess of Liberty. From the mid 1940's the face of Marianne began adorning postage stamps on a regular basis. Several distinguished stamp designers have applied their talents to creating their own unique versions of the iconic Marianne stamp design. Names like Dulac, Fernez, Muller, Bequet, and of course the stunning classic design by Gandon.

In 1960 Albert Decaris was given his turn. Unfortunately the chosen development of this stamp did not produce the best results. One wonders what the stamp would have looked like if Decaris had also engraved his design and if it were printed in Recess instead of Typography. But alas this was not the case.

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On 17 June 1960 France  issued the Marianne de Decaris stamp. The stamp was designed by Albert Decaris and engraved by Jules Piel. The issue was printed in Typography.

    

The design of this stamp was potentially really nice, but the method of printing, in my opinion, let the composition down somewhat. Having said that, it is still an appealing design and it is quite collectible, especially considering the numerous booklets available. 

But there is another major appeal to this design - for me, at least. It has two main variations or "Types". A bit of net searching revealed there are also many minor variations to look out for. For now, let's just focus on the two main types. How do we distinguish one from the other? Well, it's actually fairly simple, and if you have descent eyes, it can be done without any aids. Otherwise, a magnifying glass will be more than adequate. I have created a diagram - see below - to help us along. Looking at the diagram you can see immediately the different shading between the chin and the lower lip.

It is important to note at this point that I found some discrepancies between websites as to which variation is Type 1 and which is Type 2. One site I consulted had the types listed the opposite way around to what I have shown above. But I found two other reference sites that list them this way. So I have gone with the odds. If anyone has further information I'd love to hear from you - and if need be alter my diagram.

There is also another difference between Types 1 and 2, but I haven't been able to work it out clearly yet. All I know is that Type 2 has "trimmed vertical sides". Whether this refers to perforations or the stamp frame, I don't know. Again, if anyone can clear this up it would be great.

Until next time...

I Muse... On a Television Cover

"Nous avons fait un beau voyage..."  

These were the first words to be transmitted on French television at 8:15 pm on 22 April 1935. These immortal words were spoken by French actress, Béatrice Bretty. In English this famous line reads: We had a nice trip. This first line seems strange, since the television journey was only just beginning. But Bretty's first television words were actually her recounting a recent journey to Italy with a bunch of acting friends.

On 16 April 1955 France issued a First Day Cover commemorating the origins of French television. The stamp on the cover was designed and engraved by Albert Decaris. I have already done a blog on this stamp. Click HERE to take a look. The cover also has a beautiful cachet on the left side. Decaris designed a lot of cachets for French FDC's so I am assuming he also did this one. If anyone knows for certain one way or another please let me know. 

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A few days ago I received a lovely gift from a stamp buddy. A copy of the First Day Cover mentioned above. It is awesome. Thank you so much, Natalie!

I absolutely adore the cachet on this cover. it brings back memories from when I was little, sitting n front of the TV watching my favourite shows - in those days we still called them 'programmes'. Shows like Doctor Who, Gilligan's Island, The Brady Bunch. And cartoons like Bugs Bunny Show, Felix the Cat, and so so many others I'd be here for days listing them!

This cachet features two little kids sitting on front of the tele watching a children's programme, while in the background we see the mechanisms utilised to bring that show to their home. Indeed, the caption at the bottom of the cachet reads: Home Television.

Until next time...

I Muse... On a Piece of Art

Readers of this blog will, by now, know that the name Albert Decaris is synonymous with brilliantly engraved stamps. But what you may not know is this was merely the tip of his artist talent iceberg! 

In 1919, at only 18 years of age, he was being celebrated as an artist par excellence by taking home the coveted Prix de Rome for his etching entitled The Fall of Man. He even won a Gold Medal at the 1948 London Olympics for his incredible etching: The Swimming Pool. But that's not all. He was also an incredible painter. He painted wall frescoes for both the 1937 Paris Exhibition of Art and the New York Exhibition the year after in 1938. And in 1962 he was named official painter for the Marine Francaise (Navy).

Over time Decaris' amazing steel-plate etchings illustrated many books. Perhaps most notable were his engraved illustrations for the  three volume set of Plutarch's Lives. He engraved a colossal 58 illustrations for this set of books. He also did many large format engravings, capturing various scenes around the city in which he worked and lived - Paris. Decaris had an intimate love affair with the city of Paris through his beautiful artwork. Many of his artworks included mythological and fantastical scenes. Decaris also liked to portray religious allegories. He also produced many ink drawings utilizing these themes. 

So why all the biographical information? I thought this was a good lead-in to something unrelated to stamps that I wanted to share with you. A few weeks ago I was sent the most incredible gift by a friend in Belgium. An original piece of Albert Decaris art. How awesome is that! Wanna see...

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I have tried to do some online research on this particular piece, but I wasn't able to find anything. As I mentioned above, Decaris created many artworks with religious allegories and I believe this is yet another example. In my humble opinion, I think this piece depicts Eve in the Garden of Eden standing before the Tree of Life, gazing toward heaven, perhaps seeking forgiveness. If indeed it is Eve, she seems to be standing in a pseudo-crucified position, perhaps flagellating herself for picking an apple from the tree. Of course, I could be totally wrong as to the subject. After all, if it is Eve in the Garden, where is the serpent? Or perhaps the serpent has already fled the scene, having done its job....

I would like to offer my most sincere thanks to my friend, Lionel, for this most wonderful gift! Merci beaucoup, Lionel!

Until next time...

France 1951 - Vincent d'Indy

A dramatic symphony can arrest the senses and send one's spirit on a journey through many subtle levels of emotion. Our mind's eye travels across scenic vistas and plummets into dark, cavernous places. Our hearts race. We laugh. We cry. We transcend...

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Vincent d'Indy, born 27 March 1851, grew up with music filling his ears. As a young boy he began learning the piano. He showed great promise, and at 14 he began to study the art of harmony with Albert Lavignac, a French composer. Then in 1870 after the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war, he enlisted in the National Guard. He was 19.

At the end of the war, he returned to his passion - music. But it wasn't until his first work Symphonie italienne was performed by an orchestra as a part of their rehearsal routine that his career took off. This performance triggered a chain reaction of associations that led d'Indy to study at the Conservatoire de Paris under César Franck, a renowned music teacher. While studying with Franck, d'Indy came to admire the beauty of German symphonism.

His love of the German Symphony enticed d'Indy to visit Germany in the summer of 1873. There he was fortunate to meet Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms. This trip must have been truly inspiring. One can only imagine the thrill of talking with the top minds in one's field. Then on 25 January 1874 he was given the great honour of having his overture Les Piccolomini performed at a Pasdeloup concert, between works by Bach and Beethoven.

Vincent d'Indy went on to compose many symphonies, but perhaps his most enduring work is Symphonie sur un chant montagnard français, Symphony on a French Mountain Air. Written in 1886, this symphony was conceived as a piano and orchestral piece, which was, I believe, unusual. 

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On 17 May 1951 France issued a stamp to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vincent d'Indy.  The stamp was designed and engraved by Albert Decaris.

To me this stamp is an excellent blend of portrait and landscape, a harmonious symphony of two styles. In the foreground we see d'Indy staring intently into the distance, perhaps envisaging how to render what he sees into the language of musical notes. The eye is then drawn into the background, along tree-lined streams, through rolling countryside, and ascending sheer cliff-faces. These are the unfolding scapes of the Cévennes mountain region, the region that inspired Symphony on a Fresh Mountain Air. Vraiment magnifique!

Until next time...