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| from a postcard I bought |
But take a look at this image. Is it me, or do I depict an existential lack of happiness in the assembled crowd? What a bunch of sad-sacks! Not exactly resounding with happy wishes.
So, what do you think about the underlying message here?
8 comments:
The circle looks like a magnifying glass showing the season's greeting of the dead in a small village. Even the donkey doesn't look so good… ;) I like it !
From Mary and Joseph's perspective they are traveling in the cold and snow and told there is no room at the Inn. There has to date ( of the painting ) yet been no "Christmas" I say its very true to life - then.
Liturgically speaking, I believe this image is quite accurate. Advent is a time of spiritual preparation and introspection and (@ Richard Ewen!) if this card was sent before Christmas, it's reflecting that. After the Advent season, Christmas Day is just the first day of twelve days (Twelve Days of Christmas, right?) of joy and celebration. In our day and age, we've left out the preliminary spiritual Advent season, and gone straight to the hype and materialism, unfortunately.
The grey-green 15 cents "semeuse" was issued in 1903 and was still in use in 1923. Which leads me to believe that this postcard was printed and sent during WW1. Hence the gloominess of the scene...
Ah, yes, here we are... The price for sending a postcard in 1917 appears to be exactly 15 cts (see link). It was 5 cts pre-war. So my theory of a war-time gloomy postcard might be correct...
By the way, my nickname is inspector Clouzeau, so if you need more of this type of delicate investigation, il suffit de demander ;-)
http://timbres-et-passions.blogspot.fr/2012/01/carte-postale-taxee.html
Merci Inspector Clouzeau! Great explanation. And it reflects back on simpler times...
Thanks, all. I agree about the context, liturgically and historically. It just struck me as amusing that it was wishing for happiness, like "Have a nice day!"
Thanks, all. I agree about the context, liturgically and historically. It just struck me as amusing that it was wishing for happiness, like "Have a nice day!"
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