#529 Slovakia...Thanks Robert!

These two stamps are Slovak 2010 Art series showing Gothic Mural Painting and Gothic Madonna from Ľubica.

Gothic Mural Painting
The history of Cathedral church of St. Martin bishop in Spišská Kapitula (Spiš Canonry) dates back to the 13th century. Its contemporary appearance is the result of several reconstructions. The original Roman period is represented by the space in the western part – pillars with berry head capitals under gallery, two preserved portals and the lion statue from the original Western portal. Radical reconstructions in the second third of the 15th century turned the church into a hall three-nave basilica with high spaces with star and tracery vaults. Building up a mortuary chapel of the Zápolya family to the southern side of the church nave completed the reconstruction.
The wall painting of Karl Robert Coronation represents the remains of the decoration dating back to the period before the Gothic reconstruction in the 15th century. The motif of the painting under the northern portal is a ceremonial scene which is dominated by the Mother of God with Jesus on her knees. Her throne, Jesus’ white robe and the ornaments of the whole painting relate to the Byzantine art mediated by Italian paintings at the turn of the 13th and 14th century. By blessing gestures, Mary and Jesus are turning to the king wearing a crown on his head. Behind the king, separated by the shield with red and white beams and with Anjou family lilies, a Spiš castellan Frantisek Thomas Semsay is kneeling.
To the right of the Mary Enthroned, two church dignitaries are depicted – an Esztergom archbishop Thomas with another crown in his hands and a Spiš provost Henrik who is behind him. The scene represents hierarchical vision of the reign derived from the Christ and guaranteed by the local authorities. Considering thoroughly highlighted details of the clothes and insignia it can be assumed that the painter comes from courtly environment.
The last complex reconstruction (Ladislav Szekély 2005) proved secondary of the historical signs and also the dating on one of them. Considering the iconography, the painting could have been created shortly after Karl Robert from Anjou was coronated the Hungarian king by the Esztergom archbishop for the last time in 1310.

Gothic Madonna from Ľubica

The Parish church of Assumption of Virgin Mary in Ľubica is the largest church from the group of so-called double-nave Spiš churches and its architecture integrates several reconstructions. After the second half of the 14th century the nave of the older church was vaulted with a cross vault on three slender columns. From the era of the older, still gothic period, two portals but especially one of few preserved round windows of Slovak Gothic – rosette are worth mentioning. The church interior underwent fundamental alterations in the 17th and 18th century. After 1764, the walls and the vault were decorated with rococo ornaments. Baldachin altar in sanctuary (1680) is older and was created by baroque sculptor Olaf Engelholm from Levoča. A niche of the older still gothic altar with the statue of the Virgin Mary from the beginning of the 16th century is also integrated in this monumental work.
Madonna, wearing bright gold cloak, accompanied with little statues of four saints on the sides represents the type of so-called Apocalyptic Mary standing on the half moon with two angels by her feet. The moon represents the devil that was humiliated by the Mother God. Both angels raising her cloak serve the purpose of sending the message face to face to the spectators. The method of the coat shaping but mainly the facial features of the Virgin Mary and the angels reveal the origin of the statue as well as the whole original gothic altar in the workshop of Master Paul of Levoča.
The preservation of the older statue, even the whole cabinet of the gothic retable in the new baroque altar in Ľubica is not such a big exception. In the 17th century similar phenomenon is observed in the baroque altar of the Minorities church in Levoča that is also the work of Olaf Engelholm. Gothic Madonna could be found in the baroque altar of the Parish church in Podolínec. In 1696, the whole gothic cabinet with eight original statues was integrated into the altar in the Parish church in Prešov. Such a historicism surely relates to the former recatholization atmosphere and its effort to emphasize religious and cultural tradition continuity of the period before the reformation. Artistic monuments became significant argumentative means in religion disputes in the 17th century.

#528 Slovakia...Thanks Robert!

The 0.70€ stamp was issued on 03.12.2010 for the Postage Stamp Day honoring Karol Ondreička.

Karol Ondreička (1944 – 2003) a painter, a graphic, an illustrator, a postage stamp creator, a significant artist and a teacher, professor at Academy of Fine Arts and Design and at Faculty of Education of Comenius University in Bratislava. In 1989 – 1990 he was the Chancellor of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design. As the first pupil and member of the artistically strong Brunovský’s graphic school, in his artistic creation, Ondreička continued with the activity of Professor Albin Brunovský. His works are specific for rich imagination, marked drawing skills, redrawing of the details and using classical graphic techniques.

The 0.40€ stamp in the middle is the 2010 Christmas issue showing the Initial with the Birth of Christ from Bratislava Mass-book.

Liturgical manuscript of the Bratislava missal I from the beginning of the 14th century is preserved in several fragments. It can be found in the Bratislava Archive, in the Town Museum in Bratislava and in the St. Adalbert Association in Trnava. Originally having 366 sheets, nowadays there are 303 altogether. There are painted figural illuminations mainly as initials with biblical motifs on some of these parchment sheets of the Codex. One of these paintings, on the parchments sheets in the Town Museum, is the Nativity initial. The scene is placed in the shape of letter P.

The 0.40€ stamp:Fight Against HIV on the right was issued on 01.12.2010.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that causes AIDS disease. It completely disrupts and destroys the human immunity. It is not a commonly contagious virus. We do not get infected by touch or by common social contact. Infection may occur by transfer of bodily fluids, blood or during sexual intercourse; moreover, by using the same needle among drug addicts. To find out whether a person is infected can be recognized by medical examination after three months, sometimes after six months. The period during which a person is a virus carrier and by the time the symptoms appear could last for years. During this period the afflicted person can unconsciously spread the virus. How to prevent spreading the virus? It is important to inform people how we can become HIV positive and how important it is to have safe sex with a stranger and not to switch partners. Drugs are addictive substances. Drug addiction frequently blocks our sober consideration of risks of the infection. One of the very sensitive routes of the infection is the transmission of the virus from mother to her baby during pregnancy or breast feeding. In the past, blood transfusion was also considered one of the feared contagious routes; however, nowadays there are sufficient medical examinations to prevent the infection.

What should one do when meeting a person infected by HIV virus either by his own fault or by other´s fault? When we realize what he realizes at any time he could get seriously ill, he must be careful and not to take unnecessary risks, his health is weakened.what is important for such a person? The important thing is to have somebody by his side and not to have people turn against him for him not to have to fight against scorn. A lot of people just then realize the value of life, the value of attitudes of people around them and their own value.

We can fight against HIV virus, we can resist it. Yet, it is not possible to cure it. Therefore, it is very important to talk about it in families, to inform about it in media and to speak about it mainly with young people.

#527 Indonesia...Thanks Nella!

These two stamps are from 200 Years of the Great Post Road issued in 2008.

The Great Post Road is the road stretched from west to east at northern part of Java from Anyer to Panarukan along 1,000km. Initiated by Governor-General Herman Willem Daendels, this road is passing through Serang, Tangerang, Jakarta, Bogor, Sukabumi, Cianjur, Bandung, Sumedang, Cirebon, Brebes, Tegal Pemalang, Pekalongan, Kendal, Semarang, Demak, Kudus, Rembang, Tuban, Gresik, Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Pasuruan, Probolinggo dan Situbondo.

Daendels was a marshal appointed as governor general of East Indies by Lodewijk Napoleon who ruling Holland at that time. The ultimate aim was handling military preparation in anticipating British Navy attack that had blockaded Java Island. Daendels landed in Anyer in 1808 after routing a long trip from Cadiz in southern Spain, Canary Islands and then departing from New York using American vessel.

Daendels's most important military project in defending Java from British attack was constructing a highway connecting west and east corner of this island. The road was built by means of obliging indigenous rulers to mobilize people along the route to work it by force. This road had sacrificed thousands life in nearly a year of its building process. Later, the road was renowned as the Great Post Road (De Groote Postweg) since Daendels also set off post and telegraph services at the moment of the making.

Since its operation in 1809, the road formerly intended for military purpose had become a main transportation infrastructure in Java Island. This highway had witnessed traffice of commodities conveyed over it since colonial era till now. The road has played an important role as one of crucial veins of Indonesian economy today.

#526 Latvia...Thanks Oleg!

#525 Ukraine...Thanks Sulyma!

#524 Argentina...Thanks Tomas!

The two $1 stamps are from 2009 Buildings Endowed With Historical Value issue showing facade and the Golden Hall of French Embassy:Ortiz Basualdo Palace built in 1918.

Designed in 1912 by French architect Paul Pater, who is also behind the Tigre Club building, the construction of the palace was extended by several years. In 1925, during the presidency of Marcelo T. Alvear, where both the district and the country were in their heyday, served as official residence of the Prince of Wales, who allegedly showed his admiration for the refined comfort and grandeur of the building. But France, who eventually would take final possession of the palace in 1939 to transform their embassy in Buenos Aires.

#523 Latvia...Thanks Juris!