About This Stamp
The 1988 Traditional Christmas stamp was based on the painting Madonna and Child by Italian master Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510). One of the foremost artists of the Florentine Renaissance, Botticelli is well known for his masterpieces Saint Sebastian, Nativity, and The Birth of Venus. The dedication ceremony for the stamp took place in the East Building Main Auditorium of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Designed by Bradbury Thompson, the stamps were engraved in the offset/intaglio process by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
First Day of Issue Ceremony
First Day of Issue Date: October 20, 1988
First Day of Issue Location: Washington, DC