BEL 1963 MiNr1333 mt B002a, Peter Paul Rubens

Stamp of belgium; 1963; commemorative surcharge stamp of the issue "the struggle against tuberculosis": stamp motive with the drawing by peter paul rubens (1577-1640) of his son nicolaas rubens (1618-1655). The chalk drawing was created in 1619 (other source 1621) in the style of the flemish baroque and is actual located in the "rubenshuis" in antwerp (belgium).;mint stamp note: the depicted patriarchal cross is not only the symbol (among others) for the "france libre" during the wwii or for the republic of elsass-lothringia after the wwi, but on this stamp shall it commemorates the awarding of the nobel peace prize in 1963 to the international committee of the red cross (ikrk) together with the international federation of the red cross and red crescent societies (after these both was awarded with this prize already in 1901, 1917, and 1944) for their struggle against tuberculosis. The patriarchal cross goes back probably to the byzantine empire, where it was widespread already in the 10th century as symbol for the resurrection of jesus christ. Later, probably with the struggle against the european pest pandemy in 1347-1351, it got the symbol of the dominican order (which were very engaged in the care of the invalids). Later also the jesuits took over the double cross as their symbol and later away it got also to a general symbol for the catholic archiepiscopal metropolitan power as such. After the fundation of the red cross in 1863 and the definition of their aims, the double cross got also to the symbol of the struggle against natural catastrophes and diseases in general, after the wwi mainly for the struggle against tuberculosis and other lung diseases of bacterial and virulent origins. (for instance the "spanish influenza"). Note 2: nicolaas rubens (1618-1655) was the youngest son of peter paul rubens and isabella brant. On the drawing, the boy carries a coral necklace, a then widespread symbol for the protection of the wearing child. Stamp: michel: no. 1333; yvert & tellier: no. 1273; scott: b748; afa: no. 1353 color: multicolored nominal value: 1. 40 (francs) (1. 00 francs + 40 centimes = 40 centimes as surcharge for the struggle against tuberculosis of the dkrk and ifrkrc) postage validity: from 7 december 1963 until ? stamp picture size (printed area of a single stamp without signature line): 24. 5 x 35. 5. Date: 7 December 1963 (first issue day of the stamp).