Festive focus for stained glass

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The Royal Mail is to mark the impact of the Pre-Raphaelite movement on church stained-glass windows in its Christmas stamp collection.

First and second class stamps are taken from stained-glass window designs, as are 56p, 90p and £1.35 ones.

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said its policy for Christmas stamps is to alternate religious and secular themes.

However, last year it broke with tradition to feature both religious and secular images in its Christmas stamps.

The first class stamp features Madonna And Child, by Pre-Raphaelite artist Henry Holiday.

The image was taken from a stained-glass window in the Church of Ormesby St Michael, in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

And the second-class stamp, Angel, is taken from a stained-glass window that was designed by 19th century artist William Morris, in the Church of St James at Staveley, in Kendal, Cumbria.

A further two stamps taken from stained-glass windows by Holiday are also featured in the collection - Joseph and Shepherd, which cost 56p and £1.35 respectively.

The move to use these images follows a revival of interest in the Pre-Raphaelite movement.

This surge in interest saw a major exhibition earlier this year on artist John William Waterhouse at the Royal Academy of Arts, in London.