F. de la Carie from playing cards "Jeu d'Or" 18th century

This playing card entitled "F. de la Carie" is part of a "Jeu d'Or" set of unknown origin and date, now residing at the Metropolitan Museum. Notice how the anonymous artist used a simple color palette to define a figure carrying what appears to be a basket of fruit. Primary colours delineate the different parts of the figure and her accoutrements, creating blocks of bold hues against a pale background. The composition, with its flattened perspective and emphasis on outline, evokes a sense of naive charm. This is heightened by the curious juxtaposition of text and image, which creates a subtle tension between the visual and linguistic elements. The card invites a semiotic reading, where the arrangement of the figure, colours, and text form a system of signs. The overall design destabilizes traditional card aesthetics by integrating elements of folk art with the conventions of early printmaking. The simplicity of the card is deceptive. It functions as a carrier of cultural codes, offering a glimpse into a historical moment where art and play intertwined. The image doesn’t tell us what to think, but how to think.