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List of artworks on stamps of the United States facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Postage stamps are tiny pieces of paper that help send letters and packages. But did you know that many stamps feature famous artworks? This article lists artists whose amazing creations have appeared on United States stamps. Sometimes, it's a whole painting or sculpture. Other times, it's just a small part, like the hands from Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam on a 1958 stamp!

This list focuses on art that already existed before being put on a stamp. It doesn't include art made specifically for stamps by artists hired by the U.S. Post Office. Many artists have had their work appear on stamps, sometimes even the same artwork on different stamps!

Famous Artworks on Stamps

Many well-known paintings and sculptures have been featured on U.S. stamps. These stamps help share art with millions of people. It's like a mini art gallery in your mailbox!

One of the most famous examples is The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo. A small part of this incredible painting, showing two hands reaching out, appeared on a stamp in 1958. This stamp celebrated the Geophysical Year.

Another classic is Primavera by Sandro Botticelli. This beautiful painting, found in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, was on a stamp in 1940. It was part of an issue celebrating the Pan American Union.

The famous Statue of Liberty by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi has appeared on many stamps, including issues in 1922, 1940, and 1954. This iconic statue is a symbol of freedom for many.

American History Through Art

Many stamps show important moments in American history, often through famous paintings. These artworks help us remember the past.

The Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull is a very important painting. It shows the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This artwork has been featured on stamps multiple times, including in 1869, 1976, and 2006.

The Landing of Columbus by John Vanderlyn appeared on stamps in 1869 and 1893. These stamps celebrated the Columbian Exposition. Another famous scene, Washington Crossing the Delaware, by Eastman Johnson, was on a stamp in 1976.

The Emancipation Memorial by Thomas Ball was featured on a stamp in 1940. This sculpture, located in Lincoln Park in Washington, D.C., honors Abraham Lincoln and the end of slavery.

Portraits of Important People

Portraits of presidents and other important figures are often seen on stamps. These artworks help us remember the people who shaped history.

Many stamps feature portraits of George Washington. Some of these are based on sculptures by Jean-Antoine Houdon or paintings by Gilbert Stuart and Charles Willson Peale. For example, a bust by Houdon was on stamps in 1861 and 1870.

Abraham Lincoln's image has also appeared on many stamps. A statue of Lincoln by Augustus Saint-Gaudens was on a stamp in 1909. Another stamp in 1959 featured a bust by Gutzon Borglum.

The famous painting Arrangement in Grey and Black: The Artist's Mother, also known as "Whistler's Mother," by James Abbott McNeill Whistler, was on a stamp in 1934. This portrait is a well-known piece of art history.

Modern Art on Stamps

Stamps also showcase more recent and modern art styles. This helps people discover different kinds of artistic expression.

The pop art icon Andy Warhol had his Self-Portrait 1964 featured on a stamp in 2002. This brought his unique style to a wider audience.

In 1998, several stamps celebrated the work of Alexander Calder. His abstract sculptures and mobiles, like Black Cascade, 13 Verticals, were featured.

The "American Art Issue" in 1998 included many different styles. It featured Nighthawks by Edward Hopper, a painting known for its quiet city scene. American Gothic by Grant Wood, a famous portrait of a farmer and a woman, was also on a stamp.

In 2010, the "American Expressionists" series highlighted abstract art. Paintings like Orange and Yellow by Mark Rothko and Convergence by Jackson Pollock were part of this collection. These stamps showed how art can be about colors and feelings, not just realistic pictures.

Images for kids

  • Washington Pair22 1861 Issue-3c

    George Washington bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon

  • George Washington2 1861 Issue-10c

    George Washington portrait by Gilbert Stuart

  • George Washington 1861 Issue-12c

    George Washington portrait by Gilbert Stuart

  • Columbus Landing 1869 Issue-15c

    The Landing of Columbus by John Vanderlyn

  • Declaration of Independence 24c 1869 issue

    The Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull

  • US stamp 1873 3c Washington c

    George Washington bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon

  • Lincoln NBN 1870 Issue-6c

    Abraham Lincoln bust by Thomas Dow Jones

  • Thomas Jefferson 1870 Issue-10c

    Thomas Jefferson bust by Hiram Powers

  • Columbian1c

    Columbus in Sight of Land by William Henry Powell

  • Columbian2c

    The Landing of Columbus by John Vanderlyn

  • Columbian3c

    Unknown artwork (destroyed)

  • Columbian4c

    The Ships of Columbus by Gustav Adolf Closs

  • Columbian5c

    Columbus at the Court of Ferdinand and Isabella by Václav Brožík

  • Columbian6c

    Columbus door panel at the U.S. Capitol building by Randolph Rogers

  • Columbian8c

    The Affectionate Reception of Columbus by Ferdinand and Isabella by Francisco Jover y Casanova

  • Columbian10c

    Return of Columbus and Reception at Court by Luigi Gregori

  • Columbian15c

    Unknown artwork (destroyed) by Ricardo Baloca y Cancico

  • Columbian30c

    Columbus Before the Franciscans at La Rabida by Felipe Maso de Falp

  • Columbian50c

    The Recall of Columbus by A. G. Heaton

  • Columbian$1

    Isabella Pledging Her Jewels by Antonio Muñoz Degrain

  • Columbian$2

    Columbus in Chains by Emmanuel Leutze

  • Columbian$3

    Columbus Before the Catholic Kings by Francisco Jover y Casanova

  • Columbian$4

    Isabella portrait by Bartolomé Bermejo

  • Columbian$4

    Christopher Columbus portrait by Lorenzo Lotto

  • 1892USstamp$5Columbus

    Christopher Columbus portrait by Olin L. Warner

  • 8c Troops guarding wagon train 1898 U.S. stampf

    Troops Guarding Train by Frederic Remington

  • 50c Western mining prospector 1898 U.S. stampf

    The Gold Bug by Frederic Remington

  • Stamp US 1898 1dollar Trans-Miss

    Western Cattle in Storm by John MacWhirter

  • Founding of Jamestown stamp 1c 1907 issue

    John Smith portrait by Crispijn van de Passe

  • Founding of Jamestown stamp 5c 1907 issue

    Pocahontas portrait by Simon van de Passe

  • Franklin One Cent22

    Benjamin Franklin bust by Jacques Caffieri

  • George Washington 1908 Issue-Two-Cents

    George Washington bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon

  • Abraham Lincoln3 1909 Issue-2c

    Abraham Lincoln statue by Augustus Saint-Gaudens

  • Founding of Jamestown stamp 5c 1907 issue

    Pocahontas portrait by Simon van de Passe

  • Franklin One Cent22

    Benjamin Franklin bust by Jacques Caffieri

  • George Washington 1908 Issue-Two-Cents

    George Washington bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon

  • Abraham Lincoln3 1909 Issue-2c

    Abraham Lincoln statue by Augustus Saint-Gaudens

  • Founding of Jamestown stamp 5c 1907 issue

    Pocahontas portrait by Simon van de Passe

  • Franklin One Cent22

    Benjamin Franklin bust by Jacques Caffieri

  • George Washington 1908 Issue-Two-Cents

    George Washington bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon

  • Abraham Lincoln3 1909 Issue-2c

    Abraham Lincoln statue by Augustus Saint-Gaudens

  • Pan American Union 3c 1940 issue U.S. stamp

    Primavera by Sandro Botticelli

  • Coronado Expedition 1940 U.S. stamp.1

    Coronado and His Captains by Gerald R. Cassidy

  • National Defense Statue of Liberty 1c 1940 issue U.S. stamp

    Statue of Liberty by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi

  • Thirteenth Amendment 1940 U.S. stamp.1

    Emancipation Memorial by Thomas Ball

  • Kentucky Statehood 1942 Issue-3c

    Daniel Boone mural by Gilbert White

  • Doctors AMA Centennial 3c 1947 issue U.S. stamp

    The Doctor by Luke Fildes

  • Rough Riders-3c

    Bucky O'Neill Monument by Solon Borglum

  • 3-cent Statue of Freedom 1950 U.S. stampf

    Statue of Freedom by Thomas Crawford

  • Colorado statehood 1951 U.S. stampf

    Bucking Bronco by Alexander Phimister Proctor

  • Mount Rushmore stamp 3c 1952 issue

    Mount Rushmore National Memorial by Gutzon Borglum & Lincoln Borglum

  • Louisiana Purchase 1953 Issue-3c

    Louisiana Purchase statue by Karl Bitter

  • 8cliberty

    Statue of Liberty by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi

  • James Monroe 1954 Issue-5c

    James Monroe portrait by Rembrandt Peale

  • Stamp US 1954 3c Liberty

    Statue of Liberty by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi

  • Statue of Liberty 11c

    Statue of Liberty by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi

  • Nebraska territory 1954 U.S. stamp.1

    The Sower by Emmanuel Leutze

  • Pennacadstamp

    The Artist in His Museum by Charles Willson Peale

  • Ben Franklin 250th 1956 issue-3c

    Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky by Adolph Alexander Weinman

  • Labor Day 3c 1956 issue U.S. stamp

    Labor is Life by Lumen Martin Winter

  • James Monroe 1958 Issue-3c

    James Monroe portrait by Gilbert Stuart

  • Geophysical Year 3c 1958 issue U.S. stamp

    The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo Buonarroti

  • Young Lincoln-1c

    Abraham Lincoln portrait by George Peter Alexander Healy

  • Lincoln 1959 Issue-3c

    Abraham Lincoln bust by Gutzon Borglum

  • Lincoln Memorial Issue 1959-4c

    Abraham Lincoln by Daniel Chester French

  • Range Conservation 4c 1961 issue U.S. stamp

    The Trail Boss by Charles Marion Russell

  • Remington 1961 4c

    The Smoke Signal by Frederic Remington

  • 1207 – 1962 4c Winslow Homer

    Breezing Up (A Fair Wind) by Winslow Homer

  • Audubon society BlueJays 5c 1963 issue

    Columbia Jays by John James Audubon

  • Charles M. Russell 5c 1964 issue U.S. stamp

    Jerked Down by Charles Marion Russell

  • Fine Arts 5c 1964 issue U.S. stamp

    To the Fine Arts by Stuart Davis

  • John Singleton Copley 5c 1965 issue U.S. stamp

    The Copley Family by John Singleton Copley

  • United States postage stamp honoring Mary Cassatt (1966)

    The Boating Party by Mary Cassatt

  • Thomas Eakins commemorative stamp 5c 1967 issue

    The Biglin Brothers Racing by Thomas Eakins

  • Estampilla de los Estados Unidos 1967 000

    Madonna and Child with Angels by Hans Memling

  • Christmas

    The Annunciation by Jan van Eyck

  • ChiefJosephStamp

    Chief Joseph portrait by Cyrenius Hall

  • GrandmaMosesStamp1969

    July Fourth by Grandma Moses

  • Christmas 6c 1969 issue U.S. stamp

    Winter Sunday in Norway, Maine

  • William M Harnett stamp 10c 1969 issue

    Old Models by William Harnett

  • Natural History Jurassic Period 6c 1970 issue U.S. stamp

    The Age of Reptiles by Rudolph F. Zallinger

  • Maine statehood 1970 U.S. stamp

    The Lighthouse at Two Lights by Edward Hopper

  • Christmas - Lotto Nativity 6c 1970 issue U.S. stamp

    The Nativity by Lorenzo Lotto

  • Missouri statehood 1971 U.S. stamp.1

    Independence and the Opening of the West by Thomas Hart Benton

  • United States postage stamp honoring John Sloan (1971)

    The Wake of the Ferry by John French Sloan

  • Tom Sawyer 8c 1972 issue U.S. stamp

    Tom Sawyer by Norman Rockwell

  • Christmas - Master of St. Lucy Legend 8c 1972 issue U.S. stamp

    Mary, Queen of Heaven by Master of the Legend of Saint Lucy

  • Lovestamp

    Love by Robert Indiana

  • L B Johnson 1973 Issue-8c

    Lyndon B. Johnson portrait by Elizabeth Shoumatoff

  • Christmas - Raphael The Small Cowper Madonna 8c 1973 issue U.S. stamp

    The Small Cowper Madonna by Raphael

  • Universal Postal Union Raphael 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    School of Athens by Raphael

  • Universal Postal Union Katsushika Hokusai 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    Five Feminine Virtues by Hokusai

  • Universal Postal Union John Peto 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    Old Scraps by John F. Peto

  • Universal Postal Union Jean-Etienne Liotard 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    The Lovely Reader by Jean-Étienne Liotard

  • Universal Postal Union Gerard Terborch 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    Lady Writing Letter by Gerard ter Borch

  • Universal Postal Union Jean-Baptiste Chardin 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    Inkwell & Quill by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin

  • Universal Postal Union Thomas Gainsborough 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    Mrs. John Douglas by Thomas Gainsborough

  • Universal Postal Union stamp 10c 1974 issue

    Don Antonio Noriega by Francisco Goya

  • Christmas - Currier and Ives 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    The Road, Winter by Currier and Ives

  • Stamp USA Christmas Madonna and Child 1975 Scott 1579

    Madonna and Child by Domenico Ghirlandaio

  • Spirit76-US-PostageStamp

    The Spirit of '76 by Archibald Willard

  • 13-cent Declaration strip of four 1976 U.S. stamp.1

    Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull

  • Christmas - Copley Nativity 13c 1976 issue U.S. stamp

    The Nativity by John Singleton Copley

  • American Bicentennial Washington at Princeton 13c 1977 issue U.S. stamp

    Washington at Princeton by Charles Willson Peale

  • American Bicentennial - Battle of Oriskany - 13c 1977 issue U.S. stamp

    Herkimer at Oriskany by Frederick Coffay Yohn

  • Stamp US 1977 13c Saratoga

    Surrender of General Burgoyne by John Trumbull

  • Washington Valley Forge2 1977-13c

    George Washington at Valley Forge by J. C. Leyendecker

  • United States Christmas stamp 1982 Madonna of the Goldfinch, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo c. 1760

    Madonna of the Goldfinch by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

  • 00Kamehameha

    Kamehameha statue by Thomas Ridgeway Gould

  • Andrew Jackson 1938 Issue-7c

    Andrew Jackson statue by Belle Kinney Scholz

  • Pan American Union 3c 1940 issue U.S. stamp

    Primavera by Sandro Botticelli

  • Coronado Expedition 1940 U.S. stamp.1

    Coronado and His Captains by Gerald R. Cassidy

  • National Defense Statue of Liberty 1c 1940 issue U.S. stamp

    Statue of Liberty by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi

  • Thirteenth Amendment 1940 U.S. stamp.1

    Emancipation Memorial by Thomas Ball

  • Kentucky Statehood 1942 Issue-3c

    Daniel Boone mural by Gilbert White

  • Doctors AMA Centennial 3c 1947 issue U.S. stamp

    The Doctor by Luke Fildes

  • Rough Riders-3c

    Bucky O'Neill Monument by Solon Borglum

  • 3-cent Statue of Freedom 1950 U.S. stampf

    Statue of Freedom by Thomas Crawford

  • Colorado statehood 1951 U.S. stampf

    Bucking Bronco by Alexander Phimister Proctor

  • Mount Rushmore stamp 3c 1952 issue

    Mount Rushmore National Memorial by Gutzon Borglum & Lincoln Borglum

  • Louisiana Purchase 1953 Issue-3c

    Louisiana Purchase statue by Karl Bitter

  • 8cliberty

    Statue of Liberty by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi

  • James Monroe 1954 Issue-5c

    James Monroe portrait by Rembrandt Peale

  • Stamp US 1954 3c Liberty

    Statue of Liberty by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi

  • Statue of Liberty 11c

    Statue of Liberty by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi

  • Nebraska territory 1954 U.S. stamp.1

    The Sower by Emmanuel Leutze

  • Pennacadstamp

    The Artist in His Museum by Charles Willson Peale

  • Ben Franklin 250th 1956 issue-3c

    Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky by Adolph Alexander Weinman

  • Labor Day 3c 1956 issue U.S. stamp

    Labor is Life by Lumen Martin Winter

  • James Monroe 1958 Issue-3c

    James Monroe portrait by Gilbert Stuart

  • Geophysical Year 3c 1958 issue U.S. stamp

    The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo Buonarroti

  • Young Lincoln-1c

    Abraham Lincoln portrait by George Peter Alexander Healy

  • Lincoln 1959 Issue-3c

    Abraham Lincoln bust by Gutzon Borglum

  • Lincoln Memorial Issue 1959-4c

    Abraham Lincoln by Daniel Chester French

  • Range Conservation 4c 1961 issue U.S. stamp

    The Trail Boss by Charles Marion Russell

  • Remington 1961 4c

    The Smoke Signal by Frederic Remington

  • 1207 – 1962 4c Winslow Homer

    Breezing Up (A Fair Wind) by Winslow Homer

  • Audubon society BlueJays 5c 1963 issue

    Columbia Jays by John James Audubon

  • Charles M. Russell 5c 1964 issue U.S. stamp

    Jerked Down by Charles Marion Russell

  • Fine Arts 5c 1964 issue U.S. stamp

    To the Fine Arts by Stuart Davis

  • John Singleton Copley 5c 1965 issue U.S. stamp

    The Copley Family by John Singleton Copley

  • United States postage stamp honoring Mary Cassatt (1966)

    The Boating Party by Mary Cassatt

  • Thomas Eakins commemorative stamp 5c 1967 issue

    The Biglin Brothers Racing by Thomas Eakins

  • Estampilla de los Estados Unidos 1967 000

    Madonna and Child with Angels by Hans Memling

  • Christmas

    The Annunciation by Jan van Eyck

  • ChiefJosephStamp

    Chief Joseph portrait by Cyrenius Hall

  • GrandmaMosesStamp1969

    July Fourth by Grandma Moses

  • Christmas 6c 1969 issue U.S. stamp

    Winter Sunday in Norway, Maine

  • William M Harnett stamp 10c 1969 issue

    Old Models by William Harnett

  • Natural History Jurassic Period 6c 1970 issue U.S. stamp

    The Age of Reptiles by Rudolph F. Zallinger

  • Maine statehood 1970 U.S. stamp

    The Lighthouse at Two Lights by Edward Hopper

  • Christmas - Lotto Nativity 6c 1970 issue U.S. stamp

    The Nativity by Lorenzo Lotto

  • Missouri statehood 1971 U.S. stamp.1

    Independence and the Opening of the West by Thomas Hart Benton

  • United States postage stamp honoring John Sloan (1971)

    The Wake of the Ferry by John French Sloan

  • Tom Sawyer 8c 1972 issue U.S. stamp

    Tom Sawyer by Norman Rockwell

  • Christmas - Master of St. Lucy Legend 8c 1972 issue U.S. stamp

    Mary, Queen of Heaven by Master of the Legend of Saint Lucy

  • Lovestamp

    Love by Robert Indiana

  • L B Johnson 1973 Issue-8c

    Lyndon B. Johnson portrait by Elizabeth Shoumatoff

  • Christmas - Raphael The Small Cowper Madonna 8c 1973 issue U.S. stamp

    The Small Cowper Madonna by Raphael

  • Universal Postal Union Raphael 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    School of Athens by Raphael

  • Universal Postal Union Katsushika Hokusai 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    Five Feminine Virtues by Hokusai

  • Universal Postal Union John Peto 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    Old Scraps by John F. Peto

  • Universal Postal Union Jean-Etienne Liotard 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    The Lovely Reader by Jean-Étienne Liotard

  • Universal Postal Union Gerard Terborch 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    Lady Writing Letter by Gerard ter Borch

  • Universal Postal Union Jean-Baptiste Chardin 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    Inkwell & Quill by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin

  • Universal Postal Union Thomas Gainsborough 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    Mrs. John Douglas by Thomas Gainsborough

  • Universal Postal Union stamp 10c 1974 issue

    Don Antonio Noriega by Francisco Goya

  • Christmas - Currier and Ives 10c 1974 issue U.S. stamp

    The Road, Winter by Currier and Ives

  • Stamp USA Christmas Madonna and Child 1975 Scott 1579

    Madonna and Child by Domenico Ghirlandaio

  • Spirit76-US-PostageStamp

    The Spirit of '76 by Archibald Willard

  • 13-cent Declaration strip of four 1976 U.S. stamp.1

    Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull

  • Christmas - Copley Nativity 13c 1976 issue U.S. stamp

    The Nativity by John Singleton Copley

  • American Bicentennial Washington at Princeton 13c 1977 issue U.S. stamp

    Washington at Princeton by Charles Willson Peale

  • American Bicentennial - Battle of Oriskany - 13c 1977 issue U.S. stamp

    Herkimer at Oriskany by Frederick Coffay Yohn

  • Stamp US 1977 13c Saratoga

    Surrender of General Burgoyne by John Trumbull

  • Washington Valley Forge2 1977-13c

    George Washington at Valley Forge by J. C. Leyendecker

  • United States Christmas stamp 1982 Madonna of the Goldfinch, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo c. 1760

    Madonna of the Goldfinch by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

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List of artworks on stamps of the United States Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.