Floskaartjes 1806 - 1830

Here's a set of Floskaartjes, or playing cards, created by Johan Noman, a bookseller from Zaltbommel, a Dutch city in Gelderland. Printed on paper, the cards depict various figures in society from kings and queens to tradesmen and soldiers. As a set, the cards represent the social structures that would have defined the artist’s world. The technique used to produce this matrix of images is likely woodcut or engraving, both printmaking methods that allowed for efficient reproduction. The relatively muted colors, applied by hand, add to the piece’s charm and accessibility. As a bookseller, Noman engaged in the circulation of information and ideas, and these cards offer a glimpse into the values and hierarchies of Dutch society in his time. The repetitive nature of the printing process mirrors the standardization of labor that was beginning to take hold in the early 19th century. This work reminds us that art is not always confined to the elite; it can also be found in the everyday objects that shape our understanding of the world.