Stamps Celebrate 150 years of the National Gallery

27 August 2002

Paintings by Jack B Yeats, Jules Breton, Giovanni Paolo Panini and Nathaniel Hone are featured on the stamps, which from Thursday, will go on sale at most post offices throughout the country.

A further set of four stamps to be issued next year and again in 2004, will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the passing in 1854 of the Act of Parliament under which the National Gallery of Ireland was established.

The chairman of An Post Mr Stephen O’Connor said that the stamps chosen, which include Yeats’ Before the Start were excellent examples of the range of work by distinguished artists now on display at the Gallery courtesy of its benefactors.

“An Post is delighted – by reproducing these paintings - to help in raising public awareness of our rich heritage of work by artists from all schools and eras of international influence,” Mr O’Connor added.

As well as the Yeats work, the stamps feature “The Conjuror” by Nathaniel Hone, The Colosseum and Arch of Constantine by Giovanni Paolo Panini and The Gleaners by Jules Breton.

The current issue of stamps, each in the 41 cent denomination, were designed by Q Design. A first day cover and a Prestige booklet containing 16 stamps – a set of four stamps of each painting with text on each of the artists - are also available.

www.irishstamps.ie