CEF Pietà Villeneuve-lès-Avignon stamp canceled philately

AFW - Antique France Worldwide

Description

This illustrated CEF sheet highlights the Villeneuve-lès-Avignon Pietà, a major work exhibited at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The item features a meticulous composition with, on the left, a matching stamp depicting the painting and canceled with a "Paris" first day postmark. On the right, a color reproduction of the famous painting occupies a large portion of the sheet, surrounded by a decorative frame. The lower part contains a detailed explanatory text on the theme of the Pietà and the place of this work in the history of French religious art.

The sheet is protected in its original transparent sleeve, stamped CEF (Côte d'Émission France), visible on the left edge. The mention "N° 521 (S) of the CEF thematic series" and a numbering "4345" are also visible at the bottom left, attesting to the limited series of this type of philatelic issue. The inscriptions are clear and legible, illustrating the care taken in the presentation, typical of CEF sheets intended for thematic philately.

The stamp, with a face value of 5.00 francs, faithfully reproduces a detail of the painting, with a color print and a visible "PREMIER JOUR – PARIS" cancellation. This cancellation enhances the philatelic interest of the sheet, which combines art and postage stamps in an effort to promote heritage. The entire piece is printed on white paper, with black and gold frames highlighting the quality of the edition.

The presentation of the sheet, with its generous margins and explanatory text, is typical of French commemorative editions from the second half of the 20th century. The main colors are white, black, and warm shades from the reproduction of the painting. No major defects are visible on the exposed side: the paper appears clean, without stains, folds, or apparent tears.

Condition

Used item, sold as is. The visible side is clean and well-preserved, with no notable defects. Original plastic sleeve included.

Did you know? The Villeneuve-lès-Avignon Pietà, painted around 1455 by Enguerrand Quarton, is considered one of the masterpieces of 15th-century French painting. It stands out for its great sobriety and spiritual depth, marking the transition between medieval art and the Renaissance. The painting has been exhibited at the Louvre Museum since 1905.

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Keywords: first day sheet, CEF art stamp, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, Pietà Louvre, philately France, Paris cancellation, commemorative stamp, philatelic card, French stamp sheet, limited edition, thematic sheet, illustrated art stamp