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[[File:Pamela Colman Smith-1912.jpg|350px|thumb| Photograph of Pamela Colman Smith from the October 1912 issue of ''The Craftsman'' magazine]] | [[File:Pamela Colman Smith-1912.jpg|350px|thumb| Photograph of Pamela Colman Smith from the October 1912 issue of ''The Craftsman'' magazine]] | ||
'''Pamela Colman Smith''' (16 February 1878 – 18 September 1951), also nicknamed '''Pixie''', was a British artist, illustrator, writer, publisher, and [[occultist]]. She is best known for illustrating the [[Rider–Waite Tarot]] deck (also called the Rider–Waite–Smith or Waite–Smith deck) for [[Arthur Edward Waite]]. This tarot deck became the standard among [[tarot]] card readers, and remains the most widely used deck today. Colman also illustrated over 20 books, wrote two collections of Jamaican folklore, edited two magazines, and ran the Green Sheaf Press, a small press focused on women writers. | '''Pamela Colman Smith''' (16 February 1878 – 18 September 1951), also nicknamed '''Pixie''', was a British artist, illustrator, writer, publisher, and [[occultist]]. | ||
She is best known for illustrating the [[Rider–Waite Tarot]] deck (also called the Rider–Waite–Smith or Waite–Smith deck) for [[Arthur Edward Waite]]. This tarot deck became the standard among [[tarot]] card readers, and remains the most widely used deck today. Colman also illustrated over 20 books, wrote two collections of Jamaican folklore, edited two magazines, and ran the Green Sheaf Press, a small press focused on women writers. | |||
==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
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Yeats introduced Smith to the [[Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn]], which she joined in 1901 and in the process met [[A.E. Waite]]. When the Golden Dawn splintered due to personality conflicts, Smith moved with Waite to the Independent and Rectified Rite of the Golden Dawn (or Holy Order of the Golden Dawn). | Yeats introduced Smith to the [[Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn]], which she joined in 1901 and in the process met [[A.E. Waite]]. When the Golden Dawn splintered due to personality conflicts, Smith moved with Waite to the Independent and Rectified Rite of the Golden Dawn (or Holy Order of the Golden Dawn). | ||
In 1909, Waite commissioned Smith to produce a [[tarot]] deck with appeal to the world of art, and the result was the unique [[Rider- | In 1909, Waite commissioned Smith to produce a [[tarot]] deck with appeal to the world of art, and the result was the unique [[Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot]]. Published by William Rider & Son of London, it has endured as the world's most popular 78-card tarot deck. The innovative cards depict full scenes with figures and symbols on all of the cards including the pips, and Smith's distinctive drawings have become the basis for the design of many subsequent packs. | ||
==The Rider-Waite Tarot== | ==The Rider-Waite Tarot== | ||
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It is likely that Smith worked from Waite's written and verbal instructions rather than from sketches; that is, from detailed descriptions of the desired designs. This is how illustrators often work, and as a commercial illustrator, Smith would probably have been comfortable with such a working process. It appears that Waite provided detailed instructions mainly or exclusively for the [[Major Arcana]], and simple lists of meanings for the Minor Arcana or 'pip' cards. Thus the memorable scenes of the Minor Arcana owe largely to Smith's own invention. The [[Minor Arcana]] are indeed one of the notable achievements of this deck, as most earlier tarot decks (especially those of the Marseilles type) have extremely simple pip cards. Smith's innovative illustrations for the Minor Arcana, with their rich symbolism, made the Waite–Smith deck a widely imitated model for other tarot decks. | It is likely that Smith worked from Waite's written and verbal instructions rather than from sketches; that is, from detailed descriptions of the desired designs. This is how illustrators often work, and as a commercial illustrator, Smith would probably have been comfortable with such a working process. It appears that Waite provided detailed instructions mainly or exclusively for the [[Major Arcana]], and simple lists of meanings for the Minor Arcana or 'pip' cards. Thus the memorable scenes of the Minor Arcana owe largely to Smith's own invention. The [[Minor Arcana]] are indeed one of the notable achievements of this deck, as most earlier tarot decks (especially those of the Marseilles type) have extremely simple pip cards. Smith's innovative illustrations for the Minor Arcana, with their rich symbolism, made the Waite–Smith deck a widely imitated model for other tarot decks. | ||
Smith and Waite drew on a number of sources as inspirations for the deck's designs. In particular, it appears that Waite took his inspiration for the trumps mainly from the French [[Tarot of Marseilles]] (although the oldest date from the 16th century, his model was possibly a Marseilles deck from the 18th century). It is not unlikely that other Marseilles-type Italian tarot decks from the 18th or 19th century were used as additional models. For the pips, it appears that Smith drew mainly on the | Smith and Waite drew on a number of sources as inspirations for the deck's designs. In particular, it appears that Waite took his inspiration for the trumps mainly from the French [[Tarot of Marseilles]] (although the oldest date from the 16th century, his model was possibly a Marseilles deck from the 18th century). It is not unlikely that other Marseilles-type Italian tarot decks from the 18th or 19th century were used as additional models. For the pips, it appears that Smith drew mainly on the 19th century Italian Sola Busca tarot; the [[Three of Swords]], for example, clearly shows the congruity between the two decks. In addition, there is evidence that some figures in the deck are portraits of Smith's friends, notably actresses Ellen Terry (the [[Queen of Wands]]) and Florence Farr ([[The World]]). | ||
Smith completed the art for the deck in the six months between April and October 1909. This is a short period of time for an artist to complete some 80 pictures (the number claimed by Smith in a letter to Stieglitz in 1909 and corresponding almost exactly to the standard 78-card tarot deck). The illustrations were most likely done in pen and ink, possibly over a pencil underdrawing; the original drawings are lost so this cannot be determined with certainty at present. They were either colored with watercolor by Smith or colored by someone else after the fact. | Smith completed the art for the deck in the six months between April and October 1909. This is a short period of time for an artist to complete some 80 pictures (the number claimed by Smith in a letter to Stieglitz in 1909 and corresponding almost exactly to the standard 78-card tarot deck). The illustrations were most likely done in pen and ink, possibly over a pencil underdrawing; the original drawings are lost so this cannot be determined with certainty at present. They were either colored with watercolor by Smith or colored by someone else after the fact. | ||
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[[Category:Authors]] | [[Category:Authors]] | ||
[[Category:People]] | [[Category:People]] | ||