print;
playing-card
- Museum number
- 1871,0513.587
- Title
-
Object: Europe
-
Series: Jeu de la Géographie
- Description
-
Queen seated in a chariot to right, wearing a crown and holding an orb and sceptre, the chariot drawn by two horses with elaborate headdresses; from a pack of 52 geographical playing cards. 1644
Etching
- Production date
- 1644
- Dimensions
-
Height: 117 millimetres
-
Width: 38 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- This set of playing cards was made, along with the Jeu des Fables, Jeu des Rois de France and Jeu des Reynes Renommées, for the young Louis XIV as an educational diversion. They were designed by Jean Desmarets de Saint-Sorlin on the orders of Cardinal Mazarin and were published together by Henri Le Gras in 1644, who then gave them to his brother-in-law Florentin Lambert, who republished them in 1664. At Lambert's death the plates for all four games were bought by Florent Le Comte and published in 1698 as a volume. Only in states published by Le Comte do indications of suit and letters denoting the King, Queen and Jack cards appear; the 52 cards are, however, organised into four suits as with common packs of cards, but here according to the four continents. The BM set seems to be the third state according to the states given by De Vesme/Massar but lacks the frontispiece and with it the publication detail. The individual cards were printed together on large plates so lack plate-marks; the measurements therefore refer to the sheet size.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1871
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1871,0513.587
