Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte

When Nicolas Fouquet (KC), the king’s Superintendent of Finances, lavishly entertained Louis XIV (KH) at Vaux-le-Vicomte in August 1661, little did he realise that, only a few weeks later, he would be arrested, tried and imprisoned, replaced by the ambitious Jean-Baptiste Colbert (KD). Some of Fouquet’s friends, including Jean de La Fontaine (JH) and Madame de Sévigné (QD), remained loyal to him. All these and other characters linked to Fouquet or to Vaux-le-Vicomte are featured on the court cards in this pack. There are four different photographic views of the château on the Aces. In the background of all the numeral cards is a squirrel, since Fouquet’s name in Artois dialect meant ‘squirrel’. A portrait of Molière, whose comedy Les Facheux was first performed at Vaux-le-Vicomte, appears on the Jokers. See the box►

Above: Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte playing cards published by Atelier Monique Arnold, Paris, France, 1994. Printed by Carta Mundi, Turnhout, Belgium. 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 1 bridge scoring table + leaflet in French and English in tuck box. The back design is reproduced on the back of the box. Size: 63 x 88 mm.

A portrait of Molière appears on the Jokers. See the leaflet in English • French►