Stamp of the Principality of Liechtenstein; 1976; commemorative stamp of the issue "400th Anniversary of Birth of Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)"; stamp issue with paintings by Peter Paul Rubens from the Princely Art Collections of Liechtenstein; stamp motive with the painting "Double Portrait of Albert and Nicholas Rubens" (painting name on the stamp: "The sons of the artist"), created in 1626/27; (to the pictured story see below); painting in the style of the Flemish Baroque; mint stamp

Peter Paul Rubens  (1577–1640)
	Alternative names	Rubens, Pierre Paul Rubens, Pieter Paul Rubens, Sir Peter Paul Rubens
	Description	Flemish painter, sculptor, drawer and printmaker
	Date of birth/death	28 June 1577	30 May 1640
	Location of birth/death	Siegen	Antwerp
	Work period	16th century date QS:P,+1550-00-00T00:00:00Z/7
	Work location	Antwerp (1589-1600), Mantua (9 May 1600-1608), Spain (1603), Antwerp (1608-1640), Netherlands (1612), Paris (23 May 1623-29 June 1623, 4 February 1625-9 June 1625), Calais (November 1626), Paris (December 1626), City of Brussels (1627), Netherlands (10 July 1627-6 August 1627), Spain (26 August 1628-29 April 1629), London (18 May 1629-23 March 1630), City of Brussels (1631), Netherlands (November 1631), Affligem (September 1634)
	Authority file	: Q5599 VIAF: 56647196 ISNI: 0000000121341267 ULAN: 500002921 LCCN: n79055561 NLA: 36442606 WorldCat

Note: Quotation from the catalogue of the Princely Art Collections: "...Rubens captured his sons Albert and Nikolaus Rubens in a double portrait in c. 1626/27. Like his daughter Clara Serena, these two children were from his first marriage, to Isabella Brant, and were around thirteen and nine years old respectively at the time. Nikolaus (1618–1655), the younger, still seems quite uninhibited. He ignores the viewer and is preoccupied with his goldfinch which he has tethered to a ribbon, a popular children’s game. In contrast to his younger brother, Albert (1614– 1657) seems serious, almost adult, and a little precocious, not least because of his distinguished clothing and the casual elegance of his pose. His father encouraged him to read and furthered his classical education. The boy published his first poem in Latin at the age of thirteen; the book in his hand definitely refers to his scholarly nature. Albert Rubens ultimately became one of the most highly respected scholars of the Graeco-Roman world of his day. The contrast between the two brothers may be due to their different ages and characters. Possibly yet another level of meaning is concealed in the picture: in his treatise on the most famous Greek painters, Pliny wrote that Parrhasius, the master of eloquent expression, painted two boys embodying the tranquillity of nature (securitas) and also the innocence (simplicitas) of that age. Perhaps Rubens was trying to imply this theme in his portrait of his sons..."
Stamp: Michel: No. 656; Yvert et Tellier: No. 597; Scott: No. 596
Color: multicolored with gold
Watermark: none
Nominal value: 70 (Rappen, Centimes)
Postage validity: from 9 September 1976 until 31 December 2001