France 1970 Red Cross Stamp: Pierre Mignard's 'The Virgin of the Grapes'

France · 1970 · 50c + 10c

This semi-postal stamp features a detail from 'The Virgin of the Grapes' (La Vierge à la grappe), a 17th-century painting by French artist Pierre Mignard. The design focuses on the tender depiction of the Madonna and Child. The stamp was issued to raise funds for the French Red Cross, with a 10 centime surtax added to the 50 centime postal value.

Issued in 1970, this stamp is part of a long-standing French tradition of releasing annual semi-postal stamps to support the Red Cross, a practice that began in the early 20th century to fund humanitarian efforts.