Why do characters in the Marseilles deck have flabby bodies & bags under their eyes?

GreenDiamond

Why do characters in the Marseilles deck have flabby bodies & bags under their eyes?

I like my Tarot de Marseille deck and the cards read well for me, however I have always been wondering why are the characters portrayed with saggy, flabby bodies, and bags under their eyes?
 

prudence

Which deck do you have? I think the eye bags are more pronounced in some decks than in others, the Dodal comes to mind. I haven't noticed the flabbiness, other than a slight belly on the Star card.
 

Padma

I think it has a lot to do with the art style common to the Dark Ages/Medieval times. High realism did not really come into play in art until the 16th-17th century, largely brought into popularity by the Dutch influence (high realism).

If you look at some paintings done in, say, 1520, and then look at another few from 1670, (eg) you will see quite a difference in the art styles used. Or, look at art styles in the 1400's as opposed to the 16th century art works.

ETA I also think that the medium used to create the decks - carved wood block printing - did not allow for a great deal of realism nor detail. It is a crude method that due to its very nature disallows finesse.
 

Aunty Anthea

My first deck was a very old Marseille deck, but I never really got on with it

It was so many years ago that I had actually forgotten it until I saw this thread

Perhaps one of you could advise me on which the best and easiest to find version is :)
 

GreenDiamond

Which deck do you have? I think the eye bags are more pronounced in some decks than in others, the Dodal comes to mind. I haven't noticed the flabbiness, other than a slight belly on the Star card.

I have the Camoon-Jodorowski deck.
 

GreenDiamond

I think it has a lot to do with the art style common to the Dark Ages/Medieval times. High realism did not really come into play in art until the 16th-17th century, largely brought into popularity by the Dutch influence (high realism).

If you look at some paintings done in, say, 1520, and then look at another few from 1670, (eg) you will see quite a difference in the art styles used. Or, look at art styles in the 1400's as opposed to the 16th century art works.

ETA I also think that the medium used to create the decks - carved wood block printing - did not allow for a great deal of realism nor detail. It is a crude method that due to its very nature disallows finesse.

Thanks for your answer, it makes a lot of sense! :)
 

GreenDiamond

My first deck was a very old Marseille deck, but I never really got on with it

It was so many years ago that I had actually forgotten it until I saw this thread

Perhaps one of you could advise me on which the best and easiest to find version is :)

Go ahead and start a new thread, you will get more answers that way. :)
 

Yelell

It definitely depends on the deck. I have a cheap Conver deck where a few of the people on the cards look like they have black eyes.
 

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Richard

There is nothing inherent in the Marseille decks which requires flabbly bodies and baggy eyes, except maybe the limitations of woodblock printing. Modern restorations of the Marseille do not necessarily have to follow suit in that respect. The Camoin-Jodo deck is weird in other ways and is not generally representative of Marseille decks anyhow. My favorite Conver restoration is the ISIS, and, while it is faithful to the Conver patterns, the bodies and faces are not at all unattractive.