Shekawati - Warli Paintings : Maxim cards

Recently, India Post (Tamil Nadu Circle) has issued two maxim cards along with a booklet on Shekawati and Warli Paintings. The cards have a matte-finish.

Degaldoruwa Cave Temple: Sri Lanka

Degaldoruwa cave temple also known as Degaldoruwa raja maha viharaya was built by King Rajadi Rajasinha and his elder brother King  Sri Rajasinha during the 18th Century (around 1771). 

To give you a sense of time, this is around 5 years before the US Declaration of Independence. Comparatively, Ajanta caves in India date back at-least 1500+ years earlier.

It is interesting to note that the Rajasinha lineage is related to the Madurai Royal Family!

The temple is situated at, a village near Kandy Town. The temple had been built at a place where two rocks were touching each other from above and below.  Pictures related to Buddhism are painted on the walls. The style of painting used is called as Kandyan era paintings. The paintings at the temple were the work of only four painters!! 

The details of the constructions can be inferred from the copper plate grant which is called Degaldoruwa Thamba Sannasa.

Paintings on wall and the rock can be seen in the below picture. The green highlighted area is the one that appears on the stamp.

Portion of the painting that appears on the Sri Lankan stamp

Peter Paul Rubens: Baroque Painter

Sir Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish(Flemish is a Dutch language and one of the official language of Belgium) Artist born on 28th June 1577 in North Rhine Westphalia,Germany. .  He is widely known for his portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological subjects done in Baroque style. In addition to that Rubens ran a large studio in Antwerp  which produced paintings popular with art collectors throughout Europe. He died at the age of 63. 

Other well known Baroque painters of that period include Rembrandt and Poussin. Baroque paintings can be identified by its Chiaroscuro use of light effects 

On the occasion of his 400th Birth Anniversary India Post has issued his Self Portrait in 4th of April, 1978.

Michelangelo: Paintings

India Post has issued a stamp on Michelangelo's picture which is decorating the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.  It was issued in 28th June 1975 and it is the second Se-tenant stamp from India Post.

We all know that Michelangelo di Lodovico Bonarroti Simone, is an Italian artist. But he is also a famous sculptor, architect, poet and engineer.  He was born  on 6th March 1475 and died on 18th February 1564.  "Pieta and David" stands as a testimony to his sculpture talent which he carved at the age of 29.

The western end of the St. Peter's Basilica shows his architectural and engineering skills.  During his lifetime, two biographies were published.  No wonder people called him Divino means "the divine one".

The above stamp depicts the creation of Adam at Sistine Chapel.