Rider-Waite Smith : Faux Pages

Fulgour

A darling of Ellen Terry, we know Pam knew her Shakespeare.

As You Like It
CUPS
Rosalind-Ganymede
She seeks to teach a version of love that not only can survive
in the real world, but can bring delight as well. By the end of
the play, having successfully orchestrated four marriages and
ensured the happy and peaceful return of a more just
government, Rosalind proves that love is a source of
incomparable delight.

Twelfth Night
WANDS
Viola-Cesario
She is the character whose love seems the purest. The other
characters’ passions are fickle. Only Viola seems to be truly,
passionately in love as opposed to being self-indulgently
lovesick. We can interpret Viola’s disguise as something that
makes the unprotected young woman feel safer in the strange
land into which she has wandered.

The Merchant of Venice
COINS
Portia
The Duke, wanting to save Antonio but being unwilling to
set the legal precedent of nullifying a contract, turns to a
young scholar who is actually Portia in disguise as a doctor
of civil law. Later as Portia leaves, Bassanio offers her a
monetary gift. Portia turns this down, requesting his gloves
and wedding ring instead.

Cymbeline
SWORDS
Imogen-Fidele
When they were brought before the King, Lucius spoke out:
"Roman with a Roman's heart can suffer," he said. "If I must
die, so be it. This one thing only will I entreat. My boy, a Briton
born, let him be ransomed. Never master had a page so kind,
so duteous, diligent, true. He has done no Briton harm, though
he has served a Roman. Save him, Sir." Then Cymbeline looked
on the page, who was his own daughter, Imogen, in disguise,
and though he did not recognize her, he felt such a kindness
that he not only spared the boy's life, but he said:
"He shall have any boon he likes to ask of me, even though
he ask as a prisoner, the noblest taken."
 

Penelope

interesting

That only leaves The Two Gentlemen of Verona, which may have
been a collaboration anyway.
 

Fulgour

delete post
 

PixieLi

WOW thankyou for that Fulgour ...very interesing article. Some pictures do look similar to the cards. And I've never seen a picture of Pamela Coleman Smith so it was indeed interesting.

Pix :)
 

Fulgour

Hi PixieLi

The portrait here by Alphaeus Cole is really very nice:

http://home.comcast.net/~pamela-c-smith/bio.html

Just the fact that someone as renowned as Alphaeus Cole
would not only paint Pamela's portrait, but then see to it
that it was well kept, commends the fame of Miss Smith.
 

Elnor

The Alfred Stieglitz mentioned as giving Pamela in 1909 a one-woman show in New York later married Georgia O'Keefe.
That portrait of her is lovely- thanks for that, Fulgour! I wonder where it is now? I'd like to know what it looks like in colour.

Elnor