Christmas 2025 – Religious

Overview

This year’s Christmas stamps feature details of an artwork by eminent Australian artist Justin O’Brien (1917–1996). For much of his life, Sydney-born O’Brien lived and worked overseas, where he was strongly influenced by Byzantine and Renaissance art. O’Brien is best known for his works on religious themes. 

This joyous, colourful work is a triptych, or three-part painting, held in the collection of Newman College at the University of Melbourne. The three traditional scenes it represents are the Annunciation to the Virgin, The Virgin Enthroned and the Visitation.

The 65c stamp shows the enthroned Virgin Mary with the Christ Child on her lap and surrounded by attending angels.

The international post stamp depicts the archangel Gabriel announcing to the Virgin Mary that she will bear Christ, the Son of God. The third part of the painting, the Visitation, represents an episode that occurred after the Annunciation, when Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth. Both were pregnant, Mary with Jesus and Elizabeth with John the Baptist. Elizabeth’s words to Mary recalled those of the archangel Gabriel at the Annunciation: “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb”. The entire triptych is reproduced on the stamp presentation pack.