The American Scene

Landscape painters traditionally work on immense canvases, overwhelming the eye with the majesty of American vistas or the focused charm of picturesque landmarks.

Stamp artists enjoy no such luxury. Instead, their creative challenge is to depict American grandeur on a miniscule scale. For the artists who succeed at this task, the stamps that feature their work—smaller than paintings, tinier than postcards—enjoy one of the largest audiences possible. Throughout the United States and around the world, millions of people see these stamps and know without question that they are enjoying a careful depiction of a distinctly American scene.