French composer Claude Debussy was born August 22, 1862
Considered one of the great innovative composers of the 20th century

Debussy has appeared on a number of stamps, from around the world. Two sets stand out. The first was the French charity stamp For the unemployed intellectuals. Claude Debussy. The money raised from the sale went to the Unemployed Intellectuals Relief Fund.

Designed & engraved by Jules Piel in 1941, it was part of a series that began in 1936. Piel was both a designer and engraver, who engraved three Marianne stamps.  If you look closely at the image, note Pan playing his reed flute to the right of Debussy. Pan was the Greek god of many things including music. 

The second set is a new release from Jersey. They issued an extensive set of stamps celebrating Debussy’s stay on the island in the summer of 1904.

In a letter, Debussy expressed his contentment: “But this country is a delight, I’m at peace which is better still, and I’m completely free to work, which hasn’t been the case for a long time…” 

“The sea has behaved beautifully towards me and shown me all her guises.”

“I’m still in an absolute daze.”
FOCUS: Debussy’s tranquil summer in Jersey | Bailiwick Express Jersey

The artwork is by Jersey artist Will Bertram. The set includes an FDCs, a souvenir sheet, and some fabulous stamp packs. 

   

Each illustration contains highlights of both Claude Debussy’s stay and his music. From the Jersey 2024 article:

 The background features various points of interest that highlight Debussy’s music scores. There’s a lot to digest, so I’ll rely on Jersey Post’s concise writeups. 

The 6 stamps “incorporate elements of Debussy’s sheet music into the background of each stamp. The Portelet Bay stamp features L’isle Joyeuse and the pair of 98p stamps, La Corbière and St Brelade’s Bay, feature La Mer. The Portelet Bay stamp features Estampes (Pagodes), Havre des Pas features L’isle Joyeuse and Grand Hotel stamp, Claire de Lune.”

The mini sheet “incorporate excerpts of the score for La Mer into the background. The style of the wave featured on the miniature sheet takes inspiration from Hokusai’s iconic Under the Wave off Kanagawa, also known as The Great Wave. Debussy collected a selection of Japanese artefacts during his time as a student of Rome between 1885-1887. One such piece was a print of The Great Wave, which Debussy kept on his studio wall.”  

The presentation pack includes the Great Wave, and iconic Jersey sites, and the Debussy quote “The sea has behaved beautifully towards me and shown me all her guises.

The FDC includes Debussy with an umbrella, bits of a music score and the quote “But this country is a delight, I’m at peace which is better still, and I’m completely free to work,