Nine of Batons 1751

Claude Burdel created this card, Nine of Batons, with ink and possibly watercolour on paper. The composition is dominated by nine batons arranged in a complex, interwoven pattern. Warm red-orange batons cross over cool blue-grey ones, creating a woven effect. This organized chaos draws the eye, creating a dynamic yet structured visual experience. The card's design plays with structuralist ideas, presenting a system of signs. The batons themselves are symbols, and the arrangement of these symbols creates a coded message. But what does it mean? The symmetry suggests balance, but the interwoven structure hints at complexity and perhaps even conflict. The card challenges fixed meanings. Is it about harmony or discord? The interplay between the rigid batons and flowing lines destabilizes any easy interpretation, inviting us to consider the multiple layers of meaning embedded in this seemingly simple design.