fof said:
I believe it is easy to miss the forest for the trees. PCS painted the RWS tarot in the Expressionistic style which strives to represent subjective, emotional states as opposed to objective reality. To achieve this, the subject is frequently caricatured, exaggerated, distorted, or otherwise altered in order to stress the subjective experience in its most intense and concentrated form.
Hi FoF,
I think that PCS actually painted proportion well - but, I am saying that the lines on these horses are so close its important to consider that there is the posibility that keeping the horses uniform, was needed so that the cards kept an overall visual proportion as a deck. I cant be sure - mainly because I have a tendency to see the woods in everything, and I am no historian - a speculating spectator if anything
But it has helped me discover things I never considered, and that keeps me keen as punch about Tarot
baba said:
It's interesting too, to consider the fact that Colman Smith worked as a theatrical designer. I'm reading Robert Place's new book at the moment and I very much like the way he points out that quite a lot of the RWS cards seem to be drawn as though they're taking place on a stage.
This is interesting baba - I didnt know this, yet it is serendipity - I was looking at the two of cups yesterday and noticed something which I interpreted as the couple being on a very level road with guttering - LOL!! (A well paved level, straight 'foundation') as compared to the card next to it which was the rougher ground of the 4 of cups.
Looking at the rest of the cards, the double line (which is found on the 2 of cups) which could give a 'stage ' impression, is found (in the same proportions - line width & height) on the 2 cups, 4 Wands, 9 wands, 10 wands, 4 pentacles, 8 pentacles, 7 swords, 4 swords, 10 swords.
Thick stage lines on the 5 cups, 10 cups, 8 cups.
A higher double line is found on 3 cards -5 swords, 2 swords, 6 pentacles.
What looks to be hand drawn 'stage' double lines are found on 2 pentacles & page of cups.
Im sorry to move away from the horse - but I can see that their are lines on the cards which are the same in proportion on a few cards - the stage lines and the horse belly lines.
Blessings
Elven x