Vieville through Beginner's Eyes

I've been looking at the Vieville tarot with "beginner's mind" (meaning: trying to stay open to its reality and coincidentally not bothering with any of that tiresome research). I hope you'll pardon me when I state the obvious or something already noted by others. As a beginner in the eternal "now," I'm blithely ignoring history.


1. Colorforms

So cubist! The lines themselves are enough, but the color blocks put the cubism over the top. Here is Vieville's Papess and Georges Braques "Woman with Guitar."

I love the little squiggles in the Papess's book. If we didn't know it was a book, we wouldn't know! One wonders what's that behind her head. Odd color choices mean that Judgment's angel loses its halo but gains a black Jackie O style pillbox hat.

More mystery: All the characters with clothing, save one, have uncolored hands and faces. The naked human figures (Death, the Sun, Judgment, the World) are all colored tan, as is the Fool's face (but not his hands).

What's on the Bateleur's table? The objects always seem a bit odd, but surely these are the most confused of them all—a transparent box? Here's an image by Picasso to go along.

2. Hands and toes

Fingers and fingernails! This tarot has lots of detail on the hands, although almost all of the hands are oddly drawn (fingers all wobbly or askew). Yet there are lovely fingernails where fingernails belong, and Strength (somehow number IX) has cute little toenails on her cartoony naked foot which is wrapped by the tail of the lion she's suspended by the jaw.

Is that a ribbon around the woman's wrist? How did the lion end up in such a state? What's the little loop down by the lion's rear end? Note its lovely long claws.

The Fool's little doggie also has clearly defined paws and claws. How odd that such a detail is so well-done and yet the poor dog's face is smooshed up against the fool's thigh in a most uncomfortable and unrealistic fashion.


Speaking of hands, any idea why the Hanged Man has fingers coming out of his shoulders?

And another cubist moment, with Temperance. I love how she's half-and-half. What's that she's saying: SOL AMAE? (Oh help I've got no Latin.) Here's Georges Braque again, too.

3. Letters and numbers.

Why are all the "s" letters cut backward on this tarot? Was the artist(s) illiterate?

And speaking of numbers, it looks like the fella who cut the numbers was confused or careless or without clear instructions. The Hanged Man only hangs if his "XII" is reversed and in the lower left (rather than upper right) corner. And Justice = VII, Chariot = VIII, Strength = IX, Hermit = XI. (The Hermit, with his staff in one hand and his, um, "what the heck IS that?" in the other.)

I love that the Trumps are not labeled. Without writing, and with their numbers crammed in somewhere at the top as an apparent afterthought, the figures dominate the cards. They're barely contained by the borders. Indeed, the overlaid colors sometimes extend beyond the border, as if both the color and the characters simply refuse to stay put.

4. Many anatomical puzzles here. The Bateleur's table is wonky—that's true of other Marseilles decks—but how do his legs fit in to the picture?

The Wheel of Fortune is totally impossible.

Look at Death. Which leg is forward, which is back?

In the World, does the dancer's staff disguise a penis? If not, why no breasts?

The King of Cups has beautifully rendered feet, and the King of Coins wears stunningly stylish slippers.

But which way are the Page of Batons' feet pointing? Cover the bottom half of the body—he's facing away. Cover the top half. Whoops.

5. Faces.
Every face is absolutely unique and utterly expressive. The Queen of Coins is psychotic. The Empress has indigestion or the vapors—she looks all used up. Justice smirks apologetically.

The charioteer AND his horses AND his epaulet are all smiling with the self-satisfaction available only to the stunningly handsome. The charioteer has good hair, too, unlike the Empress, who looks like hers was pounded with a rock. No wonder she's queasy.

One wonders why the crosses atop the Empress and Emperor's orbs are so unconvincing.

The Pope has no cross, but he does have a couple of pagan idols behind him.

I give up.