Ace of spades: "Bluebeard"
This folktale was written by Charles Perrault and published in 1697. The Ace of Spades is usually represented by a very ornate...
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This folktale was written by Charles Perrault and published in 1697. The Ace of Spades is usually represented by a very ornate design in card decks. This is due to a law, developed in the 17th century, which required the printing houses of decks to pay taxes. To legitimize the card deck and to prove that the manufacturer was paying the appropriate taxes, the Ace of Spades was marked with the insignia of the printer. Of course, this law is obsolete now but creating ornate designs for the ace of this suit has carried on as tradition. To honour this tradition I decided to include part of my logo in my version, this is why bluebeard is framed by gears. This card is often associated with power, death and the military so I wanted one of the darker fairy tales to represent it and eventually settled on this one. Read my brief synopsis HERE. Read Perrault’s version of the story here:
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/perrault03.html
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/perrault03.html
Two of spades: "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse"
Fable by Aesop #352. The basic gist of this fable is that it is better to live a simple country life with rustic staples in peace than to...
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Fable by Aesop #352. The basic gist of this fable is that it is better to live a simple country life with rustic staples in peace than to revel in urban fineries like cake and ale in fear. A classic tale that has become a well-known modern idiom for whether you are an urbanite or not. It seems a little strange to me that so many tales and fables have been written about extremely hazardous wolves and foxes (that one would mostly find in the country) and yet the city is touted as the more dangerous place in this story. Despite the implications of this fable, I am a “city mouse” through and through and I honestly believe that the city is the place to be for a mouse. The lodging and menu options provided to an urban rodent are virtually endless. Are you a town mouse or a country mouse? You can have a peek at Aesop’s fable (and other versions) here:
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/type0112.html#aesop
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/type0112.html#aesop
Three of spades: "The Three Little Pigs"
This fable was first published in the 1840s but the tale itself is much older. The most well-known version was written by Joseph...
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This fable was first published in the 1840s but the tale itself is much older. The most well-known version was written by Joseph Jacobs in 1890 who claimed that James Halliwell-Phillipps (who collected fairy tales) was the source. I illustrated the porcine trio with their respective straw, sticks and bricks surrounded by footprints as foreshadowing of what is to come (spoiler alert, it’s a wolf).
four of spades: "Belling the Cat"
Aesop is credited with conceiving this fable but it was not recorded until well after his death. It is in the Aesop treasury of fables...
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Aesop is credited with conceiving this fable but it was not recorded until well after his death. It is in the Aesop treasury of fables but is not considered to be part of “Aesopic canon”. Before creating this deck I wasn’t familiar with Belling the Cat but, I have to admit, that it is now one of my favourite fables. The basic moral is that it really doesn’t matter how amazing your plans are if you can’t put them into action. A wise life lesson brought to you by our rodent friends. I have drawn the cat and bell encircled by mice with 4 spades peppered into the mix. You can read the fable here:
https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/35/aesops-fables/372/belling-the-cat/
and you can read my version HERE
https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/35/aesops-fables/372/belling-the-cat/
and you can read my version HERE
five of spades: "aladdin"
I was surprised to find out that, according to some sources, the story of Aladdin actually takes place in China (although it is filled...
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I was surprised to find out that, according to some sources, the story of Aladdin actually takes place in China (although it is filled with Middle Eastern references). Aladdin is one of the tales in a compilation of stories called “The Arabian Nights” (see the 7 of Hearts) but wasn’t actually included in the compilation originally. The story was added when it was translated to French in the 18th century (the translator was reputed to have heard the story from a Syrian scholar). My illustration depicts the genie, the lantern and young Aladdin. I drew on Middle Eastern as well as Asian imagery for inspiration to stay true to the general ambiguity of where this story actually takes place. You can read the story here:
https://americanliterature.com/author/arabian-nights/short-story/the-story-of-aladdin-or-the-wonderful-lamp
(the story is quite long so you can read my synopsis HERE)
https://americanliterature.com/author/arabian-nights/short-story/the-story-of-aladdin-or-the-wonderful-lamp
(the story is quite long so you can read my synopsis HERE)
six of spades: "The Ugly Duckling"
Fairy Tale by Hans Christian Andersen first published in 1843. I have always found this tale very upsetting. The poor little duckling...
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Fairy Tale by Hans Christian Andersen first published in 1843. I have always found this tale very upsetting. The poor little duckling, mocked for his differences, such senseless bullying! But our little swan protagonist shows the world in the end so, thankfully, the story winds up feeling kind of redemptive, phew! As an aside, a baby swan is called a cygnet! You may already know this, but I didn’t learn this fact until I started reading books about animals to my toddlers. If that tidbit didn’t bake your noodle enough, a female swan is a pen and a male is a cob (full disclosure, I just found that out as I was typing this). So a pen, a cob and a cygnet walk into a bar...
I decided to illustrate the story in 2 halves. On one side we see the little misunderstood cygnet followed by 2 typical ducklings. On the other we see the fully grown majestic swan that the ugly duckling becomes. Here is the original tale:
http://hca.gilead.org.il/ugly_duc.html
I decided to illustrate the story in 2 halves. On one side we see the little misunderstood cygnet followed by 2 typical ducklings. On the other we see the fully grown majestic swan that the ugly duckling becomes. Here is the original tale:
http://hca.gilead.org.il/ugly_duc.html
seven of spades: "The Nightingale"
By Hans Christian Andersen, published in 1843. A wild bird, a mechanical bird, an emperor, a cage and death averted by a song. In...
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By Hans Christian Andersen, published in 1843. A wild bird, a mechanical bird, an emperor, a cage and death averted by a song. In this illustration I have chosen to illustrate the mechanical nightingale in the foreground while the wild nightingale is escaping its palace imprisonment in the background. You can read my synopsis of the fairy tale HERE
eight of spades: "Thumbelina"
“Little Tiny”. Fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen originally published in 1835. I hadn’t read the full story of Thumbelina before I...
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A.K.A. “Little Tiny”. Fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen originally published in 1835. I hadn’t read the full story of Thumbelina before I created this illustration and I was pleasantly surprised by it. Considering when it was written, this tale has a relatively modern take on the rights a woman should have to choose her own partner and future. Despite her diminutive size, Thumbelina is very courageous and ahead of her time. She refuses to do what is expected of her in spite of the fact that those around her tell her she has to. Hans Christian Anderson even writes himself into a rather Meta surprise ending. I wholeheartedly approve. I depicted the tiny little trailblazer on a leaf surrounded by her beloved nature and flowers. You can read my synopsis HERE, and the longer original tale here:
http://hca.gilead.org.il/li_tiny.html
http://hca.gilead.org.il/li_tiny.html
nine of spades: "The Princess and the Pea"
Tale by Hans Christian Andersen originally published in 1835. A dark and stormy night, a delicate princess, a prince and an unusual...
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Tale by Hans Christian Andersen originally published in 1835. A dark and stormy night, a delicate princess, a prince and an unusual “trial by vegetable”. I really like the iconic image that springs to most of our minds at the mention of this tale; that of a princess, eyes wide open in insomniatic annoyance, while she is perched atop an abundance of mattresses. Look closely at the bottom and you’ll see the titular pea. You can read my little rant about the tale HERE, and the full story here:
https://andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/ThePrincessOnThePea_e.html
https://andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/ThePrincessOnThePea_e.html
ten of spades: "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"
Fable by Aesop (#210). Another idiom established by Aesop and used consistently by most of us even in the modern age. I'm sure...
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Fable by Aesop (#210). Another idiom established by Aesop and used consistently by most of us even in the modern age. I’m sure I’m not the only parent who has used this tale to inspire truth telling (or at the very least discourage lying) in my children. This image immediately sprang to mind when I decided to illustrate this fable and 10 floating spades seemed like a fitting interpretation of a scream. You can read the full fable here, and remember, “No one believes a liar, even when they are telling the truth!”:
https://www.storyarts.org/library/aesops/stories/boy.html
https://www.storyarts.org/library/aesops/stories/boy.html
jack of spades: "The Pied Piper of Hamelin"
Accounts of this story have been recorded since the 15th century but some of the most well-known versions are from the 1800s by...
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Accounts of this story have been recorded since the 15th century but some of the most well-known versions are from the 1800s by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1803), the Brothers Grimm (1816) and Robert Browning (1842). This tale is actually based on a true historical event. In 1284 over 100 children disappeared from Hamelin for an unknown reason. Various theories of what happened to the children exist and range from an epidemic and natural disaster to being lured away by a cult (and everything in-between). It’s crazy what you learn when you take a deeper dive into fairy tales. If you want to find out more about this mystery I highly recommend you start Googling, it’s pretty entertaining (although tragic). Here is a good article about it:
https://www.pookpress.co.uk/project/pied-piper-of-hamelin/
Oh, and another interesting fact that I came across while researching this tale is that there is a street in Hamelin called Bungelosenstrasse (translated to “street with not drums”). It is said to be the last place the children were seen before their disappearance. Even today, dancing and music are not allowed on this street.
https://www.pookpress.co.uk/project/pied-piper-of-hamelin/
Oh, and another interesting fact that I came across while researching this tale is that there is a street in Hamelin called Bungelosenstrasse (translated to “street with not drums”). It is said to be the last place the children were seen before their disappearance. Even today, dancing and music are not allowed on this street.
queen of spades: "Sleeping Beauty"
A.K.A. "Little Briar Rose", This tale has a long history; first recorded in the 1300s and later published by Giambattista Basile, the tale...
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A.K.A. "Little Briar Rose", This tale has a long history; first recorded in the 1300s and later published by Giambattista Basile, the tale was then collected and published by Charles Perrault in 1697 and was later published by the Brothers Grimm. An evil fairy, a deep sleep, the kiss of a prince (I’m not even going to go into the lack of consent here) and a marriage. That pretty much sums it up right? Little Briar Rose is shown asleep with the evil fairy towering over her. Read Perrault’s version here:
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/perrault01.html
and the Brothers Grimm version here:
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm050.html
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/perrault01.html
and the Brothers Grimm version here:
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm050.html
king of spades: "Moby Dick"
By Herman Melville published in 1851. I have not read the novel about the infamous white whale and the obsessive Captain Ahab...
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By Herman Melville published in 1851. I have not read the novel about the infamous white whale and the obsessive Captain Ahab but I have always been inspired by the imagery associated with it and, before I created this one, I had wanted to create a white whale piece for some time. This illustration is one of the very early additions to this playing card series (I think it may have been the 3rd one I created) and it is still my absolute favourite out of all 54. I knew I wanted to give old Moby D a place of prominence in the deck and the King of Spades seemed ideal.