Maddonni
Unconventional 1981 deck with non-realistic proportions and distinctive style.
by Silvia Maddonni · Grimaud · 1981
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The record
I chose this deck because it stood out from all the others in the shop; it was first published in 1981. The art is attractive and unconventional, body proportions are not respected which gives the deck a very distinctive style. The Hermit and the High Priestess are good examples of this. The back of the cards and the font used for the titles complement the art. The cards have a white background and the colours are mostly pastels. The characters have unusual hair. The colours and hair are used in the court cards to indicate suit, for instance the sword court characters all have dark, wavy hair and orange and purple sleeves. The traditional symbolism was kept with some minor changes (for instance the Star has only one jug of water, not two). There is no use of alchemical symbols but this gives the cards an uncluttered style. The titles are taken from the Marseille Tarot, the Hierophant is the Pope and the Tower is the Tower of Destruction. It also has Justice at VIII and Strength at XI. The roman numbering follows the old convention, for instance the Hermit is VIIII instead of IX. The names of the major arcanas and the court cards are given in both French and English. The only negati
The cards
