Bean Feasa
Like the Empress the Emperor card shows a colourful, solid-looking figure in the foreground and a more shadowy alternative depiction blooming behind him. I really like this dual visual effect, as I think it gives depth to both cards. In the case of the Emperor, the book tells us that the background image, which seems to be of a Roman emperor suggests a more relaxed, at-ease way of ruling than the rather uptight posture of the statue in front.
The book also suggests that the foreground Emperor is stern-looking, but on first glance I thought him quite benign, in fact he seems rather Christ-like, or at least saint-like to me. I like the colours of his robes particularly his warm-looking salmon-coloured cloak edged with gold fleur-de-lys. He wears a heavy gold crown and holds a gold sceptre and orb in each hand as if balancing them against each other. Certainly he looks every inch the accomplished ruler, calm, authoritative, someone who thinks before he acts but then acts decisively.
The image of the Roman emperor behind him is intriguing – an Art Nouveau-like design of swirls and spirals – somehow curves are not something we associate with the Emperor, (doesn’t he usually sit on a square plinth in the traditional Rider depiction?) which seems to suggest a welcome ‘rounding out’ of this figure. The background figure is about to pluck a round red fruit from a selection that stands on a pillar. There’s an interesting, rather-primitive-looking drawing of a woman on the pillar – I wonder who she can be – a hint of the Empress perhaps, of how she and the Emperor need to interact for balance. Any thoughts on this?
The book also suggests that the foreground Emperor is stern-looking, but on first glance I thought him quite benign, in fact he seems rather Christ-like, or at least saint-like to me. I like the colours of his robes particularly his warm-looking salmon-coloured cloak edged with gold fleur-de-lys. He wears a heavy gold crown and holds a gold sceptre and orb in each hand as if balancing them against each other. Certainly he looks every inch the accomplished ruler, calm, authoritative, someone who thinks before he acts but then acts decisively.
The image of the Roman emperor behind him is intriguing – an Art Nouveau-like design of swirls and spirals – somehow curves are not something we associate with the Emperor, (doesn’t he usually sit on a square plinth in the traditional Rider depiction?) which seems to suggest a welcome ‘rounding out’ of this figure. The background figure is about to pluck a round red fruit from a selection that stands on a pillar. There’s an interesting, rather-primitive-looking drawing of a woman on the pillar – I wonder who she can be – a hint of the Empress perhaps, of how she and the Emperor need to interact for balance. Any thoughts on this?