BLGUPC Presents:
LA TRAVIATA
BY ERTÉ

The Deck

Alfred Dunhill of London is proud to present a unique set of playing cards by the internationally acclaimed artist Erté, based on one of the most romantic operas of all time - Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata"

Thus begins the pamphlet accompanying this beautiful, highly-collectible deck, which is sought after by not only collectors of playing-cards, but by opera buffs and lovers of the works of Erté.

The deck, published for Dunhill by Sevenarts in 1982, is an elegant one, with gilt edges and a padded leather box.

Each of the four suits represents a different scene from the opera:

  • Act I - Hearts
  • Act II, Scene 1 - Diamonds
  • Act II, Scene 2 - Clubs
  • Act III - Spades

On each ace is a symbol of the scene's "theme", the court cards depict major characters, and the pip cards contain silhouetted vignettes, which, when laid out in order, depict the storyline of the entire opera.

Erté even took advantage of the gambling scene in Act II to depict playing-cards on some of the cards (see the King of Clubs), making the deck even more attractive to playing-card collectors!

The Cards on Display

  • The Queen (Dame) of Hearts - Violetta Valery, Parisian courtesan.
  • The King (Roi) of Clubs - Alfredo Germont, young man about town.
  • The Ace of Diamonds - "Love and flowers; it is the summer; Violetta and Alfredo are blissfully happy in their country house."
  • The Jack (Valet) of Spades - Doctor Grenvil, Violetta's physician.
  • The Joker - "Conductor, shown with the bass clef, employed by voices and instruments of a bass register." The other joker in the deck depicts a soprano with a treble clef.
  • The Card back - Notice that this card back is echoed in the cards held by Alfredo on the King (Roi) of Clubs. The other deck in this double-deck set has a blue back, as can be seen at the left.

About the Artist

Although named Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990) at his birth in Russia, the artist renamed himself Erté after the French pronunciation of his initials.

For many, his name would become synonymous with Art Deco, and indeed most of his work - paintings, gouaches, sculptures, stage costumes and more - are among the best of that style.

The crisp lines of his graphic work lend themselves well to playing-card design, and we are indeed lucky that Erté turned his attention to it long enough to produce this elegant deck.

There is at least one other deck of playing-cards containing his work: a deck published for the Sobranie cigarette company, the pip cards of which contain reproductions of his famous Numbers series.

There are many Erté-related sites on the Internet, such as Art Deco Erte (an on-line museum where works from many of his periods are on display), Erte Originals (where those who can afford it can purchase some of his original art, including a La Traviata gouache), and Erte Stardust II, an image of a stunning porcelain doll that Erté designed for Mattel.

Where to Find the Deck

This is an out-of-print deck, but turns up fairly regularly in mail auctions and in the stock of dealers in old playing-cards.

La Traviata Resources on the Web

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