France 1979 - Tourism Series (Part 3)

An absurd undertaking can be viewed as 'tilting at a windmill', but for practical purposes, windmills have been an efficient way of generating power since they first appeared in Persia in the 9th Century. Windmills have been used to pump water, mill grain, or as we shall soon see, to pump oil.

Somain is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is primarily known for its extensive mining industry. Its first mine, called the Renaissance mine, opened in 1839. Somain was also the home to a large windmill that was built in 1744. In 1901, the windmill was moved to its present location in Steenvoorde, a short distance south of Dunkirk. The mill was later restored (I've been unable to find a restoration date), and it is being used as an oil mill. 

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On 9 July, 1979, France issued a set of seven stamps in their ongoing Tourism series. To read the previous two parts, simply click on the relevant link. Part 1. Part 2 In this blog I'll take a close look at the 1,20 stamp, which depicts the Steenvorde windmill.. This stamp was designed and engraved by Eugène Lacaque. 

Based on photos I've seen of the restored windmill, it seems to me that this design features a fairly rundown windmill, crying out for assistance. It is clearly evident the the sails (or blades) are in a pretty sad state of disrepair. However, there is the chance that this is simply how Lacaque chose to engrave the sails. I lean toward the former.

Until next time...

France 1979 - Tourism Series (Part 2)

It started life as a grand palace in 1309, it saw a mighty clash of religious leaders in 1415, and in 1502 it was besieged, resulting in a portion of its structure being destroyed. This is the intriguing life of the Palace of the Kings of Majorca.

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In 1276, King James II of Majorca decide to make Perpignan the capital of the his Kingdom of Majorca. Enlisting architects Ramon Pau, Pons Descoll, and Bernat Quer, he set about planning the construction of the palace on the hill of Puig del Rey. It was to be constructed in the Gothic style, surrounded by sprawling gardens. The palace was completed 35 years later in 1309.

A little over 100 years later in 1415, the Holy Roman Emperor, Sigismund of Luxemburg, arranged for a summit to be held in the palace. The purpose of the gathering was an attempt to coax the Avignon Antipope Benedict XIII to resign his office and hopefully bring an end to the Western Schism (a split within the Catholic church, from 1378 to 1417). This proved a futile gesture, and after a verbal clash with the Antipope, the Roman Emperor left Perpignan on 5 November, presumably with copious quantities of steam pouring from his ears!

Then a little less than 100 years after the epic debate, the palace was the unfortunate host of a siege in 1502. This siege resulted in the destruction of a part of the northern wing. Fast forward a little over 150 years to 1659. Following the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, many of the defensive features of the palace were added. 

If we skip forward a further 300 years to 1958. In this year, the palace and its magnificent gardens was purchased by the General Council of the Pyrénées-Orientales. Since then it has been home to the French Ministry of Defence, a rather fitting use.

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On 9 July, 1979, France issued a set of seven stamps in their ongoing Tourism series. To read Part 1, click HERE In this blog I'll take a close look at the 1,70 stamp, which showcases the Palace of the Kings of Majorica. This lovely stamp was designed and engraved by René Quillivic. 

Admittedly, this stamp is predominately walls. But I feel it showcases the differing roles of the palace over the centuries with an almost brutal efficiency. I quite like it.

Until next time...

France 1979 - Tourism Series (Part 1)

He raised the torch high, the firelight casting dancing demon-shadows across the irregular cave walls. He ran a calloused hand with delicate precision across the rough surface. A smile creased his face. Yes, yes. This spot would do very nicely. He set down the torch, stepped up to the rocky canvas, and began working in earnest.

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It almost defies the imagination to think that a moment of artist inspiration, somewhat loosely akin to the fictional account above, occurred in a cave in south-western France some 13,000 years ago and evidence of said event still exists today. In fact, the Cave of Niaux, Grotte de Niaux, is home to numerous galleries containing beautifully-rendered wall paintings. Archaeologists date the site to the Magdalenian period between 17,000 and 11,000 years ago. The artwork found in these cave galleries is typical of the style prevalent in the Magdalenian Period, called simply black-outlined style. One of the most well-known paintings is located in The Black Hall, Le Salon Noir. 

The predominating animal is the bison, represented in the upper part of the panel. The bison standing out in the left central part is usually catalogued as a female, due to the shapes presented, such as the scarcely prominent hump. By contrast and in opposition to this is the male, found on the right-hand side and showing a more prominent hump.

The lower part of the wall represents several horses which, with painted hair, represent a member of the equine family with a great amount of hair, the Przewalski. The bestiary is finished off with two goats, one represented in a very natural manner and the other in a totally schematic manner. The panel is dated as being 13,000 years old. (Wikipedia)

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On 9 July, 1979, France issued a set of seven stamps in their ongoing Tourism series. In order to focus better on each stamp in this series, I will do a separate blog post for each. In this blog I'll take a close look at the 1,50 stamp, depicting artwork from the Cave of Niaux. This gorgeous stamp was designed and engraved by Marie-Noelle Goffin. 

Marie-Noelle Goffin has done a splendid job, reinvigorating this artwork and rendering it in stamp form for the world to share. Dominating the centre left of the stamp is a majestic bison, which as mentioned in the quote above, has been deemed by experts as a female due to that fact that it is depicted as possessing a small hump. 

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The bison to the right is considered a male, due to its large hump. 

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Elsewhere on the painting, we see a goat (bottom left) and a female horse (bottom right). 

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This painting is a fasicnating snapshot into the paleo-world of France c. 13,000 years ago.

Until next time...