Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau Tarot
Matt Myers (U.S. Games Systems, Inc, 1989)

Review
I'm not convinced that this deck adheres to the classic traditions of Art Nouveau, but I do know that it's a lovely looking deck with a predilection for looking like a series of stained glass windows.

Despite the willowy blonde as the Priestess, the various figures are the Major Arcana are actually a pleasing array of faces and shapes. I've got to say though, the Queen of Swords and Temperance have some impressively big 80s hair going on.

The Minors aren't quite as detailed as their Major counterparts, but the stained glass effect looks more convincing here, and the use of the same couple in the number cards of each suit give a pleasing narrative thread that adds a little depth to the usual interpretation.

The standout card has to be the Ace of Coins. The coin is vast and intricate, the foliage lush and rosy- and the weasels fluffy and adorable. Though mention should probably be made of the Tower as well. Instead of cheap theatrics, it shows a tower being struck by lightning on the other side of a featureless landscape- but it also explicitly shows that we're looking at it from a high window, implying that actually, we're next. Speaking of explicit, the Majors do have a few topless women in, and in a dodgy visual pun the Devil is naked, but has the head of a raging bird of prey instead of, uh, another sort of pecker.

I suspect that there's actually a very subtle sense of humour running all through the deck, and it's worth having a closer look to weasel it out.