King of Cups 1751

This is Claude Burdel's "King of Cups," a small, hand-colored print. A seated king, rigid and frontal, holds a scepter in his left hand. The palette is restrained: reds, blues, greens, and yellows define his garments and throne. Notice how line dominates. The relatively crude drawing style and the somewhat slapdash application of color within these lines creates a feeling of flatness. There is little attempt at modeling or creating depth. The figure exists within a shallow, compressed space. The card presents a hierarchical figure constrained within a rigid structure, a society perhaps? Yet, at the same time, the very act of representing the king within the democratic medium of a playing card destabilizes his authority. By replicating his image, the artwork disseminates the King's power, challenging fixed notions of royalty, social class, and visual representation itself.