Art in Playing Cards, page 5
ART IN PLAYING CARDSSince its introduction into Europe, over 600 years ago, the playing card has been used as a medium for decorative art, as well as for playing games of chance. Whilst some early packs were luxury, hand-made items, painted in many colours and enriched with gold and embossing, more rudimentary packs, made from cheaper materials and simpler methods of production, also existed. The links below show a selection of playing card art. |
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Designer of the Knavery of the Rump satirical playing cards, 1679. | |
A Welsh architect and designer who worked for De La Rue | |
Worked for Peerless Playing Card Co. | |
A Catalan artist who designed a pack for Dondorf, 1902 | |
Karlis Padegs (1911-1940) |
A Latvian artist who designed a pack of playing cards in 1936 |
Artist who worked for Waddington's during the 1930s | |
A Spanish Bullfight artist who worked in Mexico | |
Simultané by Sonia Delaunay |
Abstract designs bringing order and lyricism together |
Assistant Professor in the Cracovian Academy of Fine Art | |
Polish playing card designer, 1970s | |
The Adobe Deck |
Using computer-aided design. |
'Le Jeu de la Chance' by Jean Vérame |
Vérame has de-constructed the traditional cards… |
Cartoon playing cards for Parliament Cigarettes (Buenos Aires, 1977) | |
The 52 Club Catalogue 1984 | |
A pack designed by 4 visual artists. | |
'Safe as Houses' by Catherine Kelly |
Mimicking the careful construct of the playing-card. |
Filigree Deck by Emily Arkin |
Pips based on arabesque spirals and doodles. |
A unique hand-made deck from Australia. | |
Helping to improve your inner life… | |
The Deal Playing Card Project |
An "Exhibition in a Box". |
Exploring the relationship between art and science… | |
A playing-card designer from Stevenage (UK) | |
A deck by 26 different artists. | |
A special pack from Uruguay. | |
Fernando Pessoa Pack |
Exploring the mind of the poet… |
The Irish Hospice Art:Pack |
An eclectic mix of interpretation… |
Karen Curran's Enchanted Journey |
Playing cards from Australia with Unicorns |
Bonnie Blue's Playing Card Designs |
Bonnie Blue's Rummy Cards |
The Picture Book of Ana Cortez | |
Celtic Mythology Playing Cards | |
See also: "On The Cards…" the online gallery of playing card artists and designers |
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By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
View ArticlesCurator and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
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