POSTCARD N.114 - LICHTENSTEIN

Postcard sent on the 09th September; received on the 26th September 2023

Postcard image: Buttercups (Ranunculus sp.)  
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A  Maxim card with lovely buttercups. A touch of spring on a dull, grey, rainy afternoon of autumn. Thank you so much, Eric.

According to biographical notes in several art minded websites, Ferdinand Gehr (1896-1996) was a Swiss painter whose work was deeply influenced by the outlook of stained glass windows.

In fact he would try to convey the high contrast and colourful nature of stained glass in his paintings, mostly of landscapes, religious figures (for he was a devout Christian) and  flowers, such as the beautiful painting of some wild buttercups against a deep blue sky, which is replicated on the stamp on the card, which, as per maxim card rules, is glued unto the face of a postcard with an image totally correlated with that on the stamp, for it equally shows some buttercups in the wild.

The Lichtenstein 1,80 Swiss Franc stamp was issued by the Swiss Post (which was responsible for Lichtenstein's postal services from 1921 to 2000)  on 03JUN1996 as part of four stamp set (0,70; 0,90; 1.10; 1.80 Franc) illustrated with flower paintings by Ferdinand Gehr , thus celebrating 1996 as the year of the centenary of the birth, which, sadly, was also the year  of  his passing.

The postmark, also as mandatory with maxim cards, is also correlated with the stamp since it was applied at Vaduz the capital of the Principality.

Eric used the following two stamps as postage to mail me the card:

- "Integration as Seen by Young People" was the theme for the Europa stamp issues of 2006. The Lichtenstein entry, which began to circulate on 06MAR2006, comprised two stamps with face values of 1,20 and 1,30 Franc, the latter having been utilised by Eric as part of the postage used to mail me the maxim card. The integration theme is clearly evident in the illustration of the stamp, conceived by Elisabeth Müssner, who, at the time, was 16 years old.  It depicts a face "integrating" several skin and hair tones, set against the flag of Lichtenstein, on which the yellow crown is replaced by the face value of the stamp. Quite clever and effective, in my opinion.

- Ruggell is the northernmost city of the Principality of Lichtenstein, quite close to the border with Austria and Switzerland, on the banks of the Rhine river.

The 0,50 Franc stamp on the cover is illustrated with  an image highlighting the  city's Parish Church and was issued on 06MAR2000, integrated in a five stamp set (0,50; 0,60; 1,10; 1,40; 1,60 Franc) with Lichtenstein village scenes.

The postmark indicates that the card was mailed from Triesenberg .

The postmark indicates that the card was mailed from the post office at Trisenberg