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A New Stamp Dedicated to The Federal Museum Vela |
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I
have waited with impatience for the new art stamp dedicated to the Museum
Vela, because the art stamps are quite rare in the program of the Swiss post, despite
the fact that we have here some of the best museums and masterpieces. The
stamp appeared on 9th of May 2001, having the rather usual size of 33 x
22 mm. It was designed by Sabina Oberholzer from Cevio and it was printed in
offset, 3-colours.
Unfortunately, my expectations were obviously much to high.
Below I show the stamp, bigger as it is, and also with its colors a bit
enhanced, in order to better display what is on it. Actually I have no idea
what it represents, because the article in The Focus on Stamps dedicated to
this issue tells me everything, excepting for this important
"detail". And I'm not the only one to ask such questions (read also
below). What I rather see are a lot of inscriptions that are worse than the
SNA overprints.
Not only the stamp is, well, a bit depressing, but also its
technical quality is not that shown in the publicity (below, on the right).
The perforation is less then perfect for the real stamp, shown below on the
left (take an attentive look at the last teeth at the top and the bottom of
the stamp, near the right corners. Printed by the Swiss Post Stamp Printers,
we can only regret that they cannot attaint the quality of the disappeared,
"too expensive" Courvoisier SA.
Please read below a short article published in the
Schweizer Briefmarken Zeitung, Issue 6-7 from 2001. Just to notice that the
articles written by the readers are as much interesting as those written by
the professional philatelic journalists, and sometimes even better, because
they have the courage to express ideas that aren't politically correct.
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An Offence for Vincenzo Vela
by Ulisse Serena
The stamp
collectors got used to the fact that DIE POST (Swiss Post) offers them its
"products" (i.e. stamps) as small works of art, but that they
cannot be understood without proper instruction for use. When DIE POST
in the "Focus on Stamps" claims that the stamps are stimulating, it
has right: these stamps develop our sense of disapproval.
Such a stamp is that allegedly dedicated to the
Museum Vela in Ligornetto. One cannot see on the stamp either something of the
building or one of the artist's works. I agree, the works of Vela aren't by
all means convenient for the actual taste, because today a scrap iron weld
together is named a sculpture, but the works of Vela can be presented next to
those of Michelangelo or Rodin. The museum contains works that will allow not
only for the "production" of one stamps, but of a full set. But the
desire today is to be original by all means, and the design of the stamp
should be also cheap...
Anyway, those responsible for the
"production" of stamps should be nearer to the reality as to fantasies
that express nothing. (Translated from German by V.M.).
Link: Museum Vela
| Published:
06/08/2001. Revised: 06/08/01. Copyright © 2001 by Victor Manta, Switzerland. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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