About This Stamp
Best known for his architectural paintings and lithographs, Emilio Sanchez (1921–1999) explored the effects of light and shadow to emphasize the abstract geometry of his subjects. His artwork encompasses his Cuban heritage as well as his long life in New York City.
The pane of 20 stamps showcases four of Sanchez's architectural works: Los Toldos (1973), Ty's Place (1976), En el Souk (1972), and Untitled (Ventanita entreabierta) (1981).
Combining naturalism and abstraction, Sanchez’s architectural paintings and lithographs are not precise renderings but rather subjective interpretations of reality. Each work often depicts a single building. All extraneous details have been stripped away, although sometimes he highlights a specific feature, like a balustrade, arched doorway, or balcony. Strong light and deep shadows play across each building’s facade, delineating and emphasizing its abstract geometry without ever obscuring its true character.
His early subjects included houses and other buildings in Mexico, the Caribbean, and the United States, where he became a naturalized citizen in 1968. However, he remained especially drawn to Cuban architecture, which features a rich mix of Victorian, colonial, and rustic rural styles. By the 1970s, Sanchez had widened his focus to include buildings in Morocco and in other Mediterranean countries. He also found continued inspiration in the cityscape of New York, which became more prevalent in his works of the 1980s and 1990s.
Antonio Alcalá served as art director and designer for this stamp pane.
The Emilio Sanchez stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. These Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.
Stamp Art Director, Stamp Designer
Antonio Alcalá
Antonio Alcalá served on the Postmaster General’s Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee from 2010 until 2011, when he left to become an art director for the U.S. Postal Service's stamp development program.
He is founder and co-owner of Studio A, a design practice working with museums and arts institutions. His clients include: the National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Phillips Collection, and Smithsonian Institution. He also lectures at colleges including the Corcoran College of Art + Design, SVA, Pratt, and MICA.
In 2008, his work and contributions to the field of graphic design were recognized with his selection as an AIGA Fellow. He has judged international competitions for the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, AIGA, and Graphis. Alcalá also serves on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and Poster House Museum’s advisory councils. His designs are represented in the AIGA Design Archives, the National Postal Museum, and the Library of Congress Permanent Collection of Graphic Design.
Alcalá graduated from Yale University with a BA in history and from the Yale School of Art with an MFA in graphic design. He lives with his wife in Alexandria, Virginia.