Issued two penny 'The Adoration of the Shepherds (Rembrandt)' New Zealand Christmas stamp.

A stamp of spiritual significance

The Labour government of 1957-60 had strong Christian values. Prime Minister Walter Nash proudly called himself a "Christian Socialist" and Finance Minister Arnold Nordmeyer was an ordained Presbyterian Minister. To appreciate the circumstances behind the new stamp they supported, I will quote from R.J.G. Collins and C.W. Watts's classic account, The Postage Stamps of New Zealand: Volume 4: "There are many people who believe that the commercial exploitation of Christmas has a tendency to submerge its spiritual significance. Efforts are being made by Christian Churches in New Zealand and by organizations associated with them, to combat the idea that Christmas is primarily a time for the exchange of presents and for over-indulgence in food and liquid refreshments".

A special Christmas stamp would thus serve as a reminder of the festival's spiritual significance. One of the first to propose it was the Anglican Bishop of Christchurch, the Rt. Rev. Alwyn Warren, in early 1959. This was too short notice, but one would be considered for 1960. The Postmaster-General (Michael Moohan) was concerned, however, about possible objections to postmarks obliterating a picture of spiritual significance. The National Council of Churches said that their members could cope with that, but if a suitable slogan could be devised, so much the better (it never was.) The Council proposed a design that embodied "essentially Christian elements, such as the Manger Scene, the Shepherds, the Wise Men, the Bethlehem Star".

Interestingly, a more Catholic Madonna and Child was not initially proposed. When the issue was approved in August 1959, the Christchurch Philatelic Society perhaps surprisingly objected. Over the previous 30 years, it had been customary to encourage the public to buy Health stamps, whose premium supported the children's health camp movement. They had always been issued in October to capitalise on the cheap international post for Christmas, but now people's loyalties were potentially split.

A specific suggestion for a design was made by Miss Joan Fanning, Education Officer at Te Papa's forerunner, the National Art Gallery, supported by the Director, Stewart Maclennan. She recommended the reproduction of Rembrandt's famous Nativity (properly, The Adoration of the Shepherds), c. 1646, in the National Gallery, London.

The design then proceeded to Harrison & Sons, and De la Rue, London, who competed to print it using the photogravure process. Both firms understandably stated that there would be difficulties in reproducing the painting's tonal qualities. De la Rue's design was evidently more "animated" but Harrison's was nearer to the original and was therefore preferred. The stamp was issued on 1 November 1960, despite objections in parliament that it would undermine the good work of the Health stamps. As a good Kiwi compromise, the latter remained on sale alongside the Christmas stamps. In the event the Christmas stamps proved popular, with close to 20.5 million printed, nearly nine per head of population.

"The nadir of philatelic art"?

There were wide differences of opinion about the merits of the stamp. The Catholic Youth Movement expressed appreciation and thanks to the Post Office for a wonderful effort in conveying to the wider public what Christmas really meant. However, a prominent artist - unnamed by Collins and Watts - complained that "with this stamp we have reached the nadir of philatelic art". From knowing him, my prime suspect would be the late Bill Sutton! Collins and Watts conclude: "whatever the opinion may be regarding the use of reproductions of old masterpieces, the majority of people seem to agree with Mr Maclennan that technically the printers have been most successful in their reproduction of a difficult original." This is a fair point, especially when we recognise the limitations of printing technology of the time. Furthermore, as implied, there was little evidence of any aesthetic distaste for the stamp on the part of the great New Zealand public.

That said, in retrospect, the choice of image looks unfortunate in several ways. Nobody knew it in 1960, but following its recent cleaning, the London "Rembrandt" is now conclusively established as a studio copy of the original in Munich. The artist is unknown, but Betsy Wieseman, then of the National Gallery (now Cleveland Museum of Art), believes him to be an extremely skilled one, whom Rembrandt permitted to deviate slightly from, rather than to laboriously copy, his original. Go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaJPHihLnL4

Whether or not it is a Rembrandt, the expressive use of paint to convey spiritual and physical radiance in gloom made it unsuitable for reduction and reproduction. A near monochrome stamp, on special, cream-coloured paper, cannot hope to convey these effects. Nor does the crowded composition help. As the Washington Sunday Star declared: "A great work of religious art, reduced to stamp size, is not necessarily a great stamp. The odds are rather heavy that it will be a mediocre one. The subtle qualities that make these paintings great are nearly always lost in the process of miniaturisation". As subsequent issues demonstrate, uncluttered, simple, linear compositions make the most successful designs. Interestingly, no first day cover was issued in 1960, possibly because of excessive caution by the Post Office in handling a New Zealand philatelic first as well as testing Christian sensibilities.

See: Mark Stocker, 'Licking the Old Masters: The First New Zealand Christmas Stamps', http://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2015/12/18/licking-the-old-masters-the-first-new-zealand-christmas-stamps/