The Wednesday Post

Bassano and Boudin Push the Envelope
Two painters who left their stamp on art history.


Jacopo Bassano, a small-town boy who never really left home for long, is considered an important an influential figure in 16th Century Italian art.  In philatelic circles, he seems to attract copies made by line engraving.  Here's an 1977 Austrian version of his painting "The Good Samaritan":

...and here's a 1951 stamp released by the post-WWII Saarland Protectorate, featuring a version of his painting "The Good Samiritan."

...and a more recent Italian Christmas issue.

Bassano went 1-2 in the Infinite Art Tournament, leaving us on November 24, 2012


Eugène Boudin is a key figure in French landscape painting, pioneering the practice of painting en plein air or, as sophisticated arty types call it, "outdoors."  That might not seem like much of an accomplishment, but taking a canvas out of the workshop wasn't really practical until 18th century developments in equipment and especially pigments came along.  Subsequently, Boudin's example would be important to many of the big-name Impressionists.  Here's his "Woman With an Umbrella," celebrated by his native land.

Despite his failure to paint nude women, Boudin seems to have attracted considerable attention in patently bogus direct-to-collector stamp issues.  Here's a lot of frame for not much Guinean stamp:

...and a lot of frame for not much Afghan stamp...

...and a tribute to the landscapes of France by the Somalian postal service, or someone claiming that authority, in 2002.  I will happily send US$10 to the first person who can provide a verifiable image of a letter mailed from or within Somalia using any one of the Boudin commemoratives.

Boudin had an 0-2 record in the Tournament and exited on New Year's Day 2013.