prudence said:
(I know you do not share my enthusiasm for the weird and slightly squished look of the Vandenborre)
That's not entirely true! I have it, and like it... but consider it not as good as the Vieville, which is generally considered the prototype
Take a look at this (very, very interesting) thread...
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=69458
And these images discussed in it:
King of Cups
Valet of Cups
And compare the Vieville and the Vandenborre. The Vieville is just so much more detailed!!
Look at the chair on the King. See how it is there on the Vieville and Vandenborre? Look at the King's hat. Now look at all the other cards. The TdM has lost the back of the throne (at least in my opinion). Notice the Dodal and the object which looks a bit like a lid for the cup, touching the kings shoulder? (It's on the Conver as well, and lost on the TdB).... I thought at first it might be the top of the "missing" throne. Then I noticed the flower on the shoulder of the Vieville. It's like a clasp or something. Now look at this, a
detail from the Noblet. I suspect it's the flower clasp. If so, Vieville had it, Noblet had it, Vandenborre lost it, TdB lost it, Dodal transformed it, and Conver looks to me like he had it too.
Just that one detail shows so much information and the importance of comparing all of the decks when trying to see the evolution of the styles.
How did Conver know about it?
Look at the.. I don't know what to call it.. skull cap? scarf? around the kings head.. it's pretty much gone on Vandenborre, half of it is gone on the Conver, and it is reduced on the TdB and Dodal. Noblet has it. I realize it's not quite the same.. but I can "see" the transfromation.. and see who kept what and who lost what by looking at the images together.
Of course, these are how *I* see things, and I'm wrong a lot of the time. Always looking and exploring.. but the bottom line for me is that the Vieville has so many wonderful details, it is *my* must have deck.