Royal Mail Dedicates Stamp to Alicante Artist Juana Francés

Royal Mail has issued a stamp in tribute to the Alicante artist Juana Francés, which is being distributed across Spain with 70,000 prints. The Councillor for Culture, Antonio Peral, and the Director of Philately and Institutional Relations at Royal Mail, Nuria Lera, presented the stamp's image this Thursday at an event held in the Blue Hall. The president of the Alicante Philatelic and Numismatic Society, José Miguel Esteban, who requested the initiative, and relatives of Juana Francés also participated.

This is known in the philatelic world as a 'block sheet' as it features several images on the same stamp. These images include the artist in close-up, in her studio, and a work from the series 'Man and the City', from 1976, which reflects on solitary life and critiques a society governed by technology.

Peral highlighted the figure of Juana Francés, "who broke barriers and challenged conventions, creating a unique language that gave voice to her emotions and surroundings." The councillor thanked Royal Mail and the Alicante Philatelic and Numismatic Society for this initiative, which also had municipal support. "It perfectly crowns the year of Juana Francés, in which we commemorate her birth to promote her figure with various exhibitions and activities," the councillor recalled.

Juana Francés was one of the most significant artists of the Spanish avant-garde, co-founder of the El Paso Group, and a key figure in the renewal of contemporary Spanish art in the late 1950s.

Royal Mail has already circulated the 70,000 prints of this block sheet dedicated to Juana Francés, priced at six euros. "A stamp that collectors and philately enthusiasts will surely treasure," added Peral.

Meanwhile, Lera noted that "Juana Francés is now part of the philatelic pantheon of honour" and explained that "stamps become, over time, a testament to a country's history." "Everything important in a country has its stamp," she emphasised, highlighting the importance of Juana Francés and the need to promote her figure, her work, and her legacy.