Robert M. Place The Alchemical Tarot de Marseille

[Papageno]

another masterpiece in the making:

https://robertmplacetarot.com/the-alche ... arseilles/

[Nemia]

Thank you for the link! He is such a productive man. I have a number of his decks and love them, especially Saints and Sevenfold Mystery. He has a unique and wonderful art style, a bit like Flaxman and the Classicists of the early 19th century, who were in turn influenced by Renaissance art (like the prints in the Hypnerotomachia). His books are wonderful, too.

He unites, like M.M.Meleen and Benebell Wen, intellectual depth, erudition and a great artistic talent. I'm always drawn to decks that bear the imprint of ONE's person's head, heart and hands.

What a pity his decks are only available via his shop. For people outside the US, shipping is sky high Otherwise, I'd have all his decks.

I'll continue to have an eye on this deck!

[Charlie Brown]

I still think I'd like to get Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery. I don't tend to purchase many decks but that one keeps calling. I'm not reading a lot of tarot material right now. Next time I'm wont to do that, I'll probably grab the book and deck set.

[Papageno]

He has a unique and wonderful art style, a bit like Flaxman and the Classicists of the early 19th century, who were in turn influenced by Renaissance art (like the prints in the Hypnerotomachia). His books are wonderful, too.

He unites, like M.M.Meleen and Benebell Wen, intellectual depth, erudition and a great artistic talent. I'm always drawn to decks that bear the imprint of ONE's person's head, heart and hands.

What a pity his decks are only available via his shop. For people outside the US, shipping is sky high Otherwise, I'd have all his decks.

I'll continue to have an eye on this deck!

Thank you for informing me about the artist, John Flaxman.

It's always a pleasure to have such knowledgeable people such as yourself on these forums; you provide valuable and learned insights for those of us, such as myself, who are uneducated in art history. It always inspires me to dig deeper and learn more about artists of their respective periods.

Regarding the Robert Place, Alchemical TdM, I love the poetry, or is it prose that surrounds the images of this work in progress; elegant and erudite indeed.

Postal charges are daunting, but you also have to account for insurance and tracking, not to mention the cost and trouble of making sure your deck is properly packaged. Sturdy cardboard boxes, wrapping tape, bubble wrap have to be factored in. They add to the weight and cost of mailing but they are well protected.

I don't think you want artists to go the way of Amazon.com, who tosses a deck of cards into a flimsy plastic bag with minimal bubble cushioning, and then you pray that your deck isn't damaged or destroyed en route.

I have no idea what's involved with outsourcing artwork to an intermediary to make distribution more convenient/accessible, only the publishers and artists here can answer that question. Speaking of Amazon, the artist Aleksandra Jaśniak (Jaśniak Tarot aka Polish Tarot) distributes conveniently through Amazon (as a third party seller), and my deck came very securely wrapped and boxed because she/they maintain direct control.

[Nemia]

Don't misunderstand me - I understand that artists have no control over the shipping costs, and I have been known to order in spite of it. And indeed independent artists always package their decks extremely well, often add little somethings, and it's always thrilling to get something that the artist really touched and maybe even signed. "Christine Payne-Towler wrote my name!!!"

I just wish I was tiny little richer

[Papageno]

Don't misunderstand me

not at all, I understood your meaning very clearly.

I just wish I was tiny little richer

yeah well, join the club

however, with that being said, I suspect we are much more careful about which decks we purchase.
I laughed to myself when I read your comments on the Jane Austen thread where you describe yourself as a Tarot snob and Jane Austen snob.

I don't call it snobbery, it's simply knowing what you like and making appropriate decisions.
To each their own, what is cringe-worthy to one person is gold to another.

You're allowed to be a Jane Austen "snob" because you're well-read, so you have appropriately decisive opinions that are defensible.