Theme of the stamp
The newly outlined Tradition of Czech Stamp Design issue commemorates another significant stamp designer, Ivan Strnad.
The stamp shows a portrait of Ivan Strnad; a part of the mirrored motif which first appeared on a 1975 postal stationery item commemorating the 50th anniversary of the launch of automated telephone operation in Czechoslovakia, placed in the left-hand side; and a female nude from the 30h stamp Intersputnik issued in 1974, placed in the right-hand side.
Czech graphic artist and teacher Ivan Strnad was born on 3 April 1926 in Prague and died in January 2005. He created many Czechoslovak and Czech stamps and commemorative coins. He was a member of the associations of Czech graphic artists “Hollar” and “Grafis”. Ivan Strnad taught students in a special applied graphic arts studio at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague where he later became an associate professor. He was the author of stamp designs, illustrations, applied graphics and graphic designs, architectural works, textile works and medals. His work includes over 100 Czechoslovak stamps, banknotes, a number of company logos and more than 20 share warrants. He excelled in free graphic art, dry needle and engraving; figure compositions were also among his favourite disciplines. During his lifetime he won many awards for his works of art. Most of them came for his stamp designs (1964: 2nd prize for the stamps 20 Years of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic; 1966: 1st prize for the stamp series Vanguard 65; 1967, 1970-1972, 1974, 1975: various Best Stamp of the Year awards) and the most beautiful banknotes (1980: the 500 Kčs banknote). The coupon features a head drawing fron the background of the 1 Kčs stamp which appeared in the 1977 Space Exploration series.
Method of printing
rotary recess print in black combined with photogravure in yellow, rosy, light blue and dark blue
Note
The postage stamp is issued both in the form of sheets and as a book of 8 stamps and 4 coupons.