An iconic scene of summer -- sailing off the shores of Cape Cod National Seashore -- has been immortalized in the latest addition to the Postal Service's American Treasures stamp series.
The 44-cent stamp, which is being issued today in Provincetown, Massachusetts, depicts an Edward Hopper painting known as The Long Leg. Painted in oil on canvas around 1930, the scene shows a sailboat in the Atlantic Ocean off Provincetown.
This is the 10th entry in the American Treasures series, which was launched in 2001 with the intention of showcasing "beautiful works of American fine art and crafts." The original painting is in The Huntington Library collection in San Marino, California.
According to a release from the Postal Service, Mr. Hopper was a very private man and an experienced sailor. "The Long Leg allowed him to combine his love of the sea with his interest in architecture. The lighthouse in the painting is Long Point Light, at Provincetown. The work shows the artist’s characteristic use of light and mood of isolation," the agency said.
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