Royal Mail released a set of 12 stamps to mark 500 years since the death of Leonardo da Vinci. The stamps feature his drawings, which will be displayed in exhibitions across the UK to mark 500 years since he died. The set includes a drawing of St Philip, a preparatory work for Leonardo's masterpiece, The Last Supper, and a pen and ink drawing of sleeping cats. The works shown on the stamps is part of Her Majesty the Queen’s collection that is normally kept away from public view at Windsor Castle.
Martin Clayton, head of prints and drawings at the Royal Collection Trust, said: 'Alongside an ambitious programme of 12 exhibitions around the UK, then exhibitions at The Queen's Galleries in London and Edinburgh, we are thrilled to be working with Royal Mail on this special 12-stamp set, which invites everyone to join the celebration of Leonardo and his work in 2019.'
The first stamp features “The skull sectioned” that is a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) and, dating from 1489, one of his earliest human anatomical studies. The second stamp depicts “A sprig of guelder rose”. This is the drawing of the Guelder-rose shows the early study and sketching of plants, flowers and wildlife by Leonardo da Vinci in the early 1500s. The drawing shows the rose surrounded by berries. The third item features “Studies of cats” that is a pen and ink drawing of sleeping cats. The fourth stamp shows “A Star-of-Bethlehem and other plants” that was painted in the early 1500s. The drawing shows the flowers blooming in intricate detail.
Leonardo da Vinci's work also included anatomy of the human body, with intricate detail of the human muscles and bone structure. The example of such a work is “The anatomy of the shoulder and foot” that appeared on the firth stamp. “The head of Leda” is featured on the sixth stamp. Leda is the fictional queen of Sparta, who fell in love with Jupiter while he was in the form of a swan, according to Greek myth. This bearded man is another fascinating drawing created by Leonardo da Vinci. It appeared on the seventh item. The 8th stamp shows the human rib structure, the arm and leg joints and an overview of the spine.
The stamp set includes a drawing of St Philip, pictured on the 9th stamp. The drawing was preparatory work for Leonardo's masterpiece, The Last Supper. Another of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings shows a woman from a distance, surrounded by a landscape. This drawing appeared on the 10th item. The eleventh stamp shows “A design for an equestrian monument”. The artist's Equestrian monument was supposed to be a blueprint for the world's largest statue of a horse. The last stamp in the set features “The fall of light on a face”. A drawing of the head of a man intended to demonstrate how rays of light from a single point would fall upon his face.
Philip Parker, of Royal Mail, said: “500 years after his death, Leonardo's drawings continue to inspire and intrigue us. We are delighted to feature 12 of the finest examples from the Royal Collection on these stamps.”
