Space travel of the future / Peter Paul Rubens - block of stamps mint never hinged, block 197, Bolivia

The stamp shows an "Intelsat 6" telecommunications satellite above the globe while broadcasting programs in Bolivia.

The Rubens painting was created around 1636/1637 on behalf of King Philip IV for the hunting lodge "Torre de la Parada" near Madrid.

Among the ancient peoples of culture and nature, the Milky Way experienced various mythological and religious interpretations up to the "milk of the goddesses" expressed by Rubens in his painting. Hence the Greek name "Galaxias".

In this painting Juno is sitting on the clouds, square like a woman who is suckling her child. She offers her overflowing breasts to the little Hercules. Her carriage is waiting behind her. This is pulled by two peacocks, one of which looks behind him at the scene with the breastfeeding mother, which does not fit into the heavenly surroundings.

It is one of the themes that Rubens painted himself. He took the opportunity to introduce the shape of Jupiter. He sits thoughtfully with his eagle next to the carriage. Rubens transformed his worldly model into a figure appropriate for a goddess by means of a more elegant pose and a more graceful facial expression.

Although Rubens dresses all of this in an imaginative, mythical garment, he still treats very human feelings such as jealousy, pride, sorrow, anger and, above all, love in their numerous manifestations.

The stamp block is very rare and has an edition of only 4000 copies.