Greek Post issued a series of 2 souvenir sheets in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Museum of Modern Greek Culture. This interesting cultural establishment was founded in 1918 and from 1959 until recently it has been known as Museum of Greek Folk Art. The design of the stamps was inspired by Theophilos Hatzimichael’s paintings from the Museum of Modern Greek Culture collections, as well as the detached frescoes decoration of a room from Lesvos.
The Museum of Modern Greek Culture possesses a great collection that includes a wide range of decorative objects, used in everyday life and customary events, in both home and workplace, dating back mainly from the 18th to the 20th century.
The first stamp and a souvenir sheet show Erotokritos and Aretousa (painting from the eastern wall of the room). This beautiful work of art was created by Theofilos. The painting illustrates a passage from a 17th century Cretan epic poem by Vincenzo Kornaros on the love between a princess and a commoner. The second souvenir sheet and the stamp feature Alexander the Great (detached fresco in aluminium frame). He was an ancient Macedonian ruler and one of history’s greatest military minds who established the largest empire the ancient world had ever seen.
See also other stamp issues on modern art.
