Scott No: 1542-43
Serial number: J50
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: November 12, 1979
Denomination: 78 fen
Designer: Ren Yu
Size of stamps: 30*40mm
Perforation: 11.5*11
Sheet composition: 50(10*5)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

J50 "40th Anniversary of the Death of Norman Bethune" commemorative stamps were issued on November 12, 1979. The set consists of 2 stamps, printed by photogravure, designed by Ren Yu, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size 30 mm × 40 mm, perforation gauge 11.5 × 11, 50 stamps per sheet.

Theme of the Set

Norman Bethune was a Canadian Communist Party member and a famous surgeon. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, he traveled a long way to China, went to the anti-Japanese front lines in North China to treat the wounded, founded hospitals, and trained medical personnel, and finally died unfortunately from an infection contracted during surgery. 1979 marked the 40th anniversary of Bethune's death. This set was issued to honor Bethune's great internationalist spirit, carry forward his noble character of being utterly selfless and devoted solely to others, and remember the friendship between the Chinese and Canadian peoples.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Statue of Norman Bethune

The design is a full-length standing statue of Bethune, created by Situ Jie. The statue stands on a pedestal, with reddish-brown mountain forests in the background, solemn and dignified, freezing Bethune's image and carrying the world's lasting remembrance.

Bending Himself to the Task Until His Death

The design is taken from a classic historical photograph taken by Wu Yinxian, recreating the scene of Bethune bending over to perform surgery in a field operating room, with an assistant cooperating beside him, saving Eighth Route Army wounded under arduous and crude conditions, embodying his selfless and dedicated working state.

Artistic Design Features

The set uniformly adopts a vertical composition. The two works, one a sculpture and one a documentary painting, form a contrast in form. The first sculpture is steady and solemn, symbolizing the eternal spirit; the second surgical scene is vivid and realistic, restoring the historical moment. The tones are plain and calm, without complicated decoration. The photogravure printing is soft, with delicate layers of light and shade, solemn and dignified. It is a set of considerable weight among internationalist-themed stamps of the JT period.