Paraguay: Titian

Paraguay issued a set of 8 stamps in 1976 honoring the "500th anniversary of the birth" of the artist Titian. However many set Titian's birth year later in the 15th century, 1488 or 1490. The artist's -death- is generally fixed at 1576, so this set might more accurately commemorate the 400th anniversary of the artist's death. Titian was the most important artist of the so-called Venetian school of artists during the Renaissance era. The 8 stamps (Scott 1708 a-g, and 1709) all feature nudes from various works by Titian. The high value stamp is a detail from "Venus and the Organist." At the extreme left edge one may discern organ pipes of a small portativ instrument. The lower-value 7 stamps are often collected as a connected strip; mine are singles. Titian had about him a workshop of artists all using the same visual style. Titian and his workshop painted several variations of Venus reclining with an instrumentalist visible, and sometimes other elements, notably a dog or cupid. All were from the mid-1500's. Below are two version of Venus reclining from Titian's workshop.