Gherman Alexeyvich Komlev (Russian, 1933 - 2000) "Queen Isabella of Spain Pledging Jewels" Signed and titled verso. Original Oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. $1 Isabella Pledging Aid stamp issued May 22, 1992. "By these presents we dispatch the noble man Christoforus Col?n (Christopher Columbus) with three equipped caravels over the Ocean Seas toward the regions of India for certain reasons and purposes." So read a royal decree announcing the funding of Christopher Columbus' grand scheme to find a westward route to the Indies. This great financial gamble was financed in a large part with more than 1,000,000 maravedis put up by the Holy Brotherhood of Spain -- Santa Hermandad. Another 500,000 came from Columbus himself on loan from his partner Mart?n Alonso Pinz?n. The legend that Queen Isabella pawned her jewels because the royal coffers were depleted from the war with the Moors is merely a fable. Although the Queen offered the jewels to the cause, this never was necessary, yet the story has endured for 500 years. It served as inspiration for artist Antonio Mu?oz Degrain (1843-1924) for his painting Isabel the Catholic Bequeaths Her Jewels, c. 1878. Although this painting was displayed at the 1878 Universal Exhibition in Paris, it was rumored to have been sold to an American. Since that time, the painting has disappeared, although it is presumed to still exist in either Spain or the United States. Image Size: 10.25 x 20.5 in. Overall Size: 13.75 x 23.25 in. Unframed. (B13763)