Stamp: Spain – Correos – Definitive stamp from the “Portraits (1950-1953)” series (20 cts), printed in violet‑blue tones and featuring the engraved profile of Juan Ruiz de Alarcón y Mendoza. Issued 01.09.1950
Postmark: Madrid – Servicio Filatélico de Correos – Circular cancellation dated 26 JUL 54, bearing the official emblem of the philatelic service: a stylized postal horn surmounted by a crown. The marking confirms processing through the central philatelic office in the Spanish capital, a frequent origin point for specially prepared philatelic items.
Postcard: Cream‑tone postcard illustrating a finely executed engraved portrait of Juan Ruiz de Alarcón y Mendoza dressed in period attire, with attention drawn to the elaborate ruffled collar and the Renaissance‑style shading. The portrait is rendered in dark sepia/black ink, occupying the upper half of the card, and designed in a traditional Spanish academic style of the 19th–20th century. (Edition Laboratoires La Biomarine, Dieppe)
Concordance
Thematic: There is perfect thematic concordance between the elements of the piece. The stamp, belonging to Spain’s “Portraits (1950–1953)” definitive series, depicts Juan Ruiz de Alarcón y Mendoza, a prominent writer and playwright of the Spanish Golden Age. The postcard also presents an engraved portrait of Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, rendered in a classic academic style. Both images focus on the same historical figure, reinforcing a unified thematic representation centred on Spanish literature, the Baroque period, and the cultural legacy of one of Spain’s major dramatists. This creates a coherent and intentional philatelic composition.
Geographic: Geographic coherence is entirely consistent. Both the stamp and the subject portrayed on the postcard originate from Spain, and the postmark is from Madrid, applied by the Servicio Filatélico de Correos. Even though the postcard edition (“Laboratoires La Biomarine, Dieppe”) comes from France, the artistic subject is unmistakably Spanish, and therefore the geographic axis of the piece remains Spanish. The philatelic operation through Madrid further anchors the item to Spain, ensuring geographic unity in its postal and cultural context.
Temporal: Temporal concordance is complete and correct. The stamp was issued on 1 September 1950, and the cancellation is dated 26 July 1954, a time frame in which the stamp was fully valid for postal use. This ensures chronological compatibility between the philatelic emission date and the postal cancellation. The portrait style of the postcard, although produced mid‑20th century, aligns historically with the subject (17th century) and fits comfortably within the typical timeframe for special philatelic and portrait postcards of the 1950s. Thus, all components - stamp, cancellation, and postcard—coexist within a coherent and historically compatible period.