About the inspiration for the feature stamp : it was way back in 1966 when the PO first released a religious-based Madonna and Child  Christmas stamp, Scott # 1321, and ever since then, images of the Virgin Mary and the Baby Jesus have continued mostly every year featuring works based on European art.

Interestingly enough, though, this feature stamp broke the tradition of Mary and Jesus dressed in the robes, cloth head coverings, diapers, and whatnot . . . for this stamp is a reproduction of an 18^th century oil painting, by an unknown artist in South America. As the PO’s 48-page The 2020 Stamp Yearbook explains it, “Between the 16^th and the 18^th centuries, European painters worked with indigenous artists in, and around, Casco, Peru. The paintings produced at this time reflect the influence of the native Peruvians, many of whom were of Inca descent.

About the feature stamp :  on this stamp, rather than the usual strictly religious image of Mary and Jesus in veils and humble cloth, we see more of a “religious royalty” spin, with Mary wearing a crown and a regal dress and even the Baby Jesus is decked out in high-class looking  attire . . . as I noted a few words ago, looking like “religious royalty.” 

On this hand painted cachet :  on his magnificently laid out cachet, Mr. Collins brilliantly continues the feature stamp’s updated theme of Mary and Baby Jesus, as we see these two Heavenly icons surrounded by pink roses, with both of them regally dressed, while a delicate angel accents this cover’s spiritual essence.

About the cancellation : and for this one, Mr. Collins obtained an individually hand stamped cancel from New York City.

All in all,  the usual Fred Collins expertise . . . on a cover, and with a stamp, that is totally different from any other postal religious stamp.