We at CARTORAMA use to review mostly – but by far not only – ancient decks from time to time. Here is our text to the featured Cartes Parisiennes:
Cartes Parisiennes
Lovers, who caused a furor, adorn the luxurious deck „Cartes Parisiennes". It is particularly nobly fitted with gilt edges in red gold (hearts and diamonds) and yellow gold (spades and clubs). The same deck also exists in a plain version. This deluxe model here dates from 1853.
It had been commissioned by the short-lived fashion magazine „Le Caméléon“ with the cardmaker Gibert in Paris. The figures show 4 French couples: the Comte de Brissac and Diane de Poitiers, the Comtesse de Rochefort and the Chevalier d'Éon, Marion Delorme and Cinq-Mars as well as Bussy d'Amboise and the Lady of Montsoreau. These last two couples yielded enough material for novels from the feathers of the French writers Alfred de Vigny, Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas. The latter's depiction of life at the time of French King Henri III was published in 1846 under the simple title of „La Dame de Monsoreau“.
The cloak-and-dagger opus even made it on to television, 120 years later. Yet in the pack of cards the lovers evidently just play the roles of models. The hand-colored steel engravings do not show authentic fashion from the time of the protagonists, rather exquisite robes of more recent times. Which indeed are so rich in detail, so lushly illustrated that you can literally hear the satin rustling. The portrays of the pairs also remain strikingly close to handed down representations. Laid down side by side, the backgrounds of Jack, Queen and King join to a consistent scenery, outlined in shades of grey.
Noteworthy is the narrow margin of the cards. This is – connoisseurs will know – due to the gilding of the edges. For this purpose, the pack needs to be grinded and sanded in order to let the gold foil stick better to the paper.