Pre-Raphaelite Christmas stamps. Courtesy Royal Mail
The designs for this year's Royal Mail Christmas stamps have been revealed and feature work from Pre-Raphaelite stained glass windows.
Artists including William Morris, Henry Holiday and Sir Edward Burne-Jones are featured, based on photographs of stained glass windows from churches around the country.
Designer Andrew Ross researched hundreds of photographs of stained glass windows before deciding upon the final set of images from the 19th century.
"We are extremely privileged to have access to such a rich history of beautiful stained glass designs in churches and other buildings around the UK," said Julietta Edgar, Head of Special Stamps, Royal Mail.
"These precious images of the nativity have a timeless appeal and are a wonderful way of telling the story of Christmas here and around the world."
Three of the stamps (1st, 56p and £1.35) feature the work of the prolific artist and designer Henry Holiday who spent time at the studios of the artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones, designer of the Wise Man (90p) stamp.
The Angel with Mandolin stained glass window (2nd class) was designed by William Morris and manufactured by Morris & Co, the design firm formed in 1861 with Edward Burne Jones.
The Christmas stamps will be released on November 3 2009.
Find out more about the Pre-Raphaelites by exploring the Culture24 Pre-Raphaelite trail.
