New stamp issue features St George in paintings

A new set of stamps being issued by Maltapost on Wednesday, coincidentally the feast of St George, features five paintings of the saint found in Maltese churches and chapels.

The set, known as St George Paintings, has been designed by Joseph Mizzi, and will remain on sale until April 22, 2004, unless stocks are previously exhausted.

The stamps, in vertical format and measuring 25.5 mmx43 mm (perforation 13.75x13.75) and available in sheets of ten, have been offset printed by Bundesdruckerei GmbH of Germany.

The stamps come in five values. The 3c stamp shows the painting of St George at Hal Millieri chapel, a work attributed to mid-15th century art.

The 7c stamp, a painting by Francesco Potenzano (1540-1599), is found at St John's Co-Cathedral. The 14c stamp depicts the Mattia Preti (1613-1699) painting in St George's Basilica, Victoria, Gozo.

The second Preti painting in this set - the one at St George's parish church, Qormi - is on the 19c stamp. A third Preti painting, on the 27c stamp, is at St John's Co-Cathedral.

St George, known as the Great Martyr of the Eastern Christian Church, lived during the closing decades of the third century AD. St George's cult probably reached the Maltese Islands with the Byzantine soldiers.

It was later further strengthened under the Normans, with missionaries from the Greek Church. Tradition has it that during the siege of Mdina in 1429 he was seen, together with St Paul and St Agatha, assisting the Maltese against their Muslim besiegers. St George was beheaded on April 23 of the year 303.

Gozo made him its special patron saint, and its main town Victoria dedicated one of its two parishes to the saint. Qormi too dedicated one of its two parishes to him. The church of St Agatha in Rabat has the oldest sculpture of the saint, and Hal Millieri chapel boasts of two 15th century frescoes.

Legends about St George fired the imagination of writers and painters, and in less than a century he became a symbol of the struggle between right and evil.

Jacopo da Varagine depicted him on horseback slaying the dragon about to devour a defenceless lady. The subject became a favourite in Georgian iconography. Among the most popular are works by Rubens, Murillo, Raffaello, Velasquez and Mattia Preti.

Philatelists and stamp collectors may buy first day covers, mint or cancelled sets, souvenir folders and presentation packs. These can be ordered from any Maltapost branch or directly from the Philatelic Bureau, or by e-mail philately@maltapost.com.

Further details are available on the Maltapost Website www.maltapost.com.

The next issue, due on May 9, is the Europa set. The theme for this year is poster art, and the set of two stamps has been designed by Debbie Caruana Dingli.