The painting used as the source for a Columbian Issue U.S. postage stamp will be removed from public view at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
The basis of the engraving design for 10-cent Columbian stamp titled “Columbus Presenting Natives” is Return of Columbus and Reception at Court (1880-84), the largest of twelve murals about the life and voyages of Christopher Columbus by Italian painter and Notre Dame art professor Luigi Gregori. The painting depicts Columbus’ return to Granada. The artist reportedly worked himself into his canvas as the man with the mustache behind the red drape in the far upper right-hand corner of the scene.
Return of Columbus and Reception at Court painting by Luigi Gregori was the basis of the 10-cent Columbian Issue U.S. postage stamp in 1893. [Image from Columbus Murals, University of Notre Dame.]
On January 18, 2019, the University announced that the paintings will be covered, though not removed. Notre Dame eventually will mount a permanent display of photos of the paintings with an explanation of their context. Several reports on the decision (see below for sources) outline the tensions between the Catholic university and the diverse viewpoints of its constituents and the public.
Columbian Issue U.S. postage stamps represent one of the most widely collected types of Columbian Exposition mementos. The stamp was first issued on January 1, 1893 and printed in a quantity of 16,516,950.
SOURCES
https://arago.si.edu/category_2027860.html
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