Angels have signified new beginnings in the Bible and other religious
writings for at least 2,000 years. This year, as we stand at the threshold
of a new millennium, angels again send their message of hope to the
world on Canada Post's 1999 Christmas stamps. The stamps, in denominations
of $.46, $.55 and $.95 will be available in panes of 50 as well as
in booklets of 10, 5 and 5 respectively.
The inspiration for this year's Christmas stamps is the Canadian art
of the Victorian era, a prolific age of artistic creativity stretching
from 1837 to 1901. In those years, advances in printing techniques
made the mass reproduction of colourful prints possible, and widely
affordable. Images of angels soon became among the most popular household
decorations particularly at Christmas.
Canadian artwork dating from the Victorian era stimulated the imaginations
of co-designers Kosta Tsetsekas and Bonne Zabolotney. They aimed to
reflect the popular images from a romantic period when angels were
depicted like Victorian children posing as Renaissance cherubs.
In selecting Tannis Hopkins to illustrate the project, Tsetsekas and
Zabolotney were choosing an artist they had worked with extensively
in the past. Hopkins selected the soft shading of coloured pencils
to achieve the lithographed look. "The muted colours are indicative
of the Victorian era," says Zabolotney, "but we also chose them to
counteract the sensational and highly saturated colours we have come
to associate with the commercialization of Christmas."
A brief history of angels
The contribution of angels to the story of Christ's birth and the
sentimental traditions that grew out of Victorian Christmas celebrations
have made these cherished winged beings an enduring symbol of the
season.
Though references to angels predate Christianity, it was not until
the fourth century that angels were represented as having wings. The
modern concept of angels with wavy hair, halos and white robes emerged
two centuries later, and has been influenced since by several artistic
and cultural trends.
It was in the early Renaissance, sometime during the 14th century,
that artists began giving angels feminine and childlike features.
During the Victorian era, the more secular images of rosy-cheeked
cherubs became popular symbols of hope and encouragement.
"Angels were depicted in a very idealized, romantic way," says Tannis.
"Everything about them from their wide eyes to their rosebud
lips evoked feelings of goodness and innocence, and contradicted
the reality that, for many people, life was harsh."
Inexpensive art prints of cherubs and children became among the most
popular forms of home decoration and the angel, combining characteristics
of both, among the most memorable images of the time.
