Rembrandt Peale's "Rubens Peale with a Geranium" Postage Stamps (Four Centuries of American Art Series, Plant, Wedding) Vintage Unused USPS Postage 32c

These vintage unused postage stamps will evoke a touch of whimsy and add personality to your mailings!

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: Rembrandt Peale’s "Rubens Peale with a Geranium"
• Series: Four Centuries Of American Art
• Year Issued: 1998
• Face Value: 32 cents each (USD)
• Topic(s): Fine Art, American Artists, Paintings, Realism, Botany, Botanical, Gardening, Horticulture
• Color(s): Multicolored, Brown
• Printing Method: Photogravure
• Adhesion Type: Gummed
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

STAMP HISTORY: This postage stamp featuring Rembrandt Peale’s painting Rubens Peale with a Geranium (1801) is part of the Four Centuries of American Art series. The original Peales painting is a striking portrait of Rubens Peale, the artist’s younger brother, depicted with a potted geranium. This artwork is significant in American art history for its refined realism and attention to detail. The painting portrays Rubens Peale as a young man with delicate features, dressed in early 19th-century attire, including a high-collared coat and cravat. He wears round glasses, emphasizing his scholarly and introspective nature. The potted geranium in the painting is particularly notable, as it was one of the first geraniums cultivated in America. The plant symbolizes intellectual curiosity, the love of nature, and the intersection of science and art—interests that Rubens Peale himself embodied. The USPS adapted this painting into a small, detailed format, preserving its rich color tones and composition. 

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: Peale’s Rubens Peale with a Geranium carries subtle yet profound spiritual significance. Though primarily a portrait, the painting itself reflects deeper themes of introspection, intellectual curiosity, and the harmony between humanity and nature. The potted geranium in the painting is not just a decorative element; it represents growth, nurturing, and the delicate balance between nature and human cultivation. Spiritually, plants often symbolize renewal, resilience, and the divine connection between the natural world and the human spirit. The geranium, being one of the first cultivated in America, signifies exploration, discovery, and a reverence for creation. Rubens Peale’s thoughtful expression, combined with his round glasses, suggests a person deeply engaged in contemplation, knowledge-seeking, and observation. In many spiritual traditions, wisdom and understanding are paths to enlightenment. The glasses symbolize clarity of vision—not just physical sight but inner perception and intellectual insight, hinting at a quest for truth beyond the material world. Rembrandt Peale masterfully uses light to illuminate Rubens’ face and the geranium, emphasizing the subject’s presence against a darker background. This interplay of light and shadow can be interpreted as a spiritual metaphor—the journey from obscurity (ignorance) to illumination (understanding and enlightenment). It reflects the way knowledge, whether scientific or spiritual, can bring clarity to the human experience. The Peale family was deeply involved in both art and the natural sciences. The inclusion of a botanical subject alongside a scholarly figure symbolizes the unity of these disciplines, suggesting that the pursuit of knowledge—whether through scientific observation or artistic expression—is itself a sacred act. The stamp, by commemorating this artwork, reinforces the idea that learning and creativity are pathways to something greater than oneself. By featuring Rubens Peale with a Geranium on this stamp, the USPS stamp elevates this quiet, personal moment into a larger cultural and philosophical statement. It invites reflection on the beauty of curiosity, the sacredness of nature, and the deep human desire to seek knowledge and meaning. The stamp, as a vessel of communication, further reinforces these themes, symbolizing the spread of wisdom and enlightenment across time and space.

SERIES HISTORY: The Four Centuries of American Art postage stamp series was issued by the United States Postal Service (USPS) on August 27, 1998 in Santa Clara, California, as a pane of 20 commemorative stamps, each with a face value of 32-cents, celebrating the rich history of American visual arts. The purpose of this landmark USPS release, celebrating 20 iconic works from colonial portraiture to modern Pop Art, was to honor the diversity and innovation of American artists across four centuries. This series showcases notable paintings and sculptures from the 17th through the 20th centuries, reflecting the evolution of artistic expression in the United States. Each stamp in this collection depicts a masterpiece from a different time period, spanning from the colonial era to modern American art. The selection includes portraits, landscapes, historical depictions, and abstract works, representing a wide range of artistic styles and movements. This series showcases the diversity of American art across different eras and styles, includes both traditional and avant-garde pieces, reflecting shifts in American society, and serves as a lasting teaching tool to introduce the public to significant American artists.

GUMMED STAMP: This postage stamp has a traditional moisture-activated gum on the back. These stamps require licking or wetting to adhere to envelopes or other surfaces. To ensure good adhesion, apply vintage gummed stamps to your mailings with a glue stick (we recommend using Elmer's "Re-Stick" glue sticks).

GENUINE USPS POSTAGE: These unused vintage postage stamps are perfectly valid for use as current postage for mailing with USPS as long as you use the adequate amount of postage to achieve standard postage rates according to the weight of your mailing. Check current postage rates at USPS.com.

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