3 Swords

[Moongold]

Thanks terri ~

You have just given me a wonderful new perspective on Three Swords.

Kate

 

[tmgrl2]

It's frequently said that Colman-Smith may have been inspired by the 3 of Swords from the late 15th century Italian tarot deck, the Sola-Busca Tarot:

http://www.wicce.com/solabusca3swords.jpg

I remember reading this, too, Rusty...in the Encyclopedia of Tarot Volume III (Kaplan). They have that lovely chapter in the very beginning of the book about Pamela Colman Smith and her life and art leading up to and including her connection with the Golden Dawn.

The conjecture is that she saw the Sola Busca cards which had been donated to the Bristish Museum in early 1900.


PCS was also a devout convert to the Catholic Church.


Her ritualism and symbolism, according to the article in the Encyclopedia

derived their power to illuminate from the senses, emotion and the imagination, not from the mind.

Supposedly on a visit to New York City after WWII, she commented to Alphaeus Cole's wife, Peggy:
"Why don't you become a Catholic, Peggy? It's such fun."

She had a seriousness about everything she did, yet this latter comment, suggests a "playfulness?" or lack of true devotion? about any one path, perhaps.

She also was greatly moved when she created her images by her love of music, especially Debussy and Beethoven.

So, back to the three of swords (ty Moongold for your kind words), I like to think that when she created this card, her Catholocism as well as the Sola Busca image helped her created the large heart. I see that classic picture of Christ exposing his heart.

It makes me think of how Christ became son and, thereby, part of the trilogy...Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

So the three swords for me, to some extent represent the containment in our hearts of these elements
and of how Christ at the end, suffered and died "alone" and of his own choice.....and of course THREE days later was once again reborn.

terri

 

[seawomyn]

3 Swords Reply to Thread

I'm intrigued by this discussion. One thing that interests me, is that there hasn't been much comment on the original question, "why did Pamela not use fugures in this card?" I find this a very interesting question. There are very few cards in this deck that have no figures and if I'm remembering right, nowhere else has she depicted sorrow without a figure.

I'm also interested in the questions and thoughts about the crafting of the images of the cards. I am an artist and art instructor. There was a comment somewhere in there that if she traced some of the images she probably traced them all. I strongly doubt that. I have studied her art quite a bit and she had a very original visualizing and creating ability. I have no objection to tracing as an element in the creative process, please don't misunderstand me. We have much more of a focus on originality in our artworld today than artists did in the past and I think Pamela probably traced an image when she thought is was the best to say what she (they) wanted to say. But I am quite sure she also created some of her images totally from her own mind images (and also from the discussions of what the images should look like by the others who were involved in the symbolic process of creating this deck). I sort of see them sitting around discussing how a card should look and Pamela sketching out an idea and they all discussed that and offered changed or agreed it was perfect (all my fantasy by the way).

Fun discussion!

 

[Dstar]

Yes it is fun. It was me that suggested she might have traced or used templates for them all...thinking again, maybe not. But since you are an artist too (as I am), perhaps you can see my thought process... She must have found it easier to get the proportions of a figure right by tracing the image, and that made me think that perhaps she would struggle a little without a template... hence I wondered if she'd used the same process on other cards. I think if she was totally confident in her artistic skills, she would more likely have drawn the Death card freehand, without tracing over Durer's knight. But as I said before, Durer was amazing, and who can blame Pamela for using his work as a template. Her own art abilities may have been good...but Durer was something else.

Good to find someone else who has a fascination for trying to imagine how she did them... It does help to create a picture of the artist in action doesn't it.

D.

 

[tmgrl2]

I highly recommend the opening chapter on PCS in the Encyclopedia of Tarot III....

It discusses in depth PCS's art, her inspirations for her art. It also has many of her non-Tarot artwork printed. Very interesting read.

I'm sure there are other works with similar information. I just happened on this when I opened the book and was fascinated by the information about her.

terri

 

[seawomyn]

what a delightful discussion! Actually, I don't think that tracing necessarily shows a lack of confidence in an artist. I think that is very likely a new fangled idea. I think in the past tracing, working on each other's artwork, having apprentices work on your own artwork, tracing and then rubbing it onto the cartoon wall fresco. These were all considered legitimate. It's why it's so very hard for the modern museum to get absolute credit. It's a modern delemma though. I don't think our ancesters cared! It's fun to speculate, though.

 

[Waterdancer]

A heart being pierced by a sword or thorns is a common Catholic image. You see it particularly in many of the spanish and latin depictions of Mary and Christ and on some religious medals. Sometimes you see the depiction of Mary with the heart and sometimes just the heart and the sword. Many novenas for Mary discuss her heart being pierced by swords at the death of her son. It was also part of a prophecy to Mary, that her soul would be pierced by a sword.

 

[seawomyn]

But, does anyone have any thoughts about the lack of figurative images on this card??




Yes, I have enjoyed seeing PCS's artwork in several references. She is a wonderful artist.

 

[Fulgour]

The Soul of Art

We do actually see someone on this card,
in a very real and persoanal sense in fact.
Look again at the Artist's PCS signature...

It is as if she rose to the occassion through
tears of anger, frustration and JOY to do it!

 

[tmgrl2]

Rusty, Thank you for that link to the 3 of Swords, Sola Busca. I just got the deck from Lo Scarebo and quite like it. It quite seems a link from PCS to an early deck!

terri