Beyond the Cards: Meeting Pamela Colman Smith

We may encounter a card before learning who drew it. Known for illustrating the Rider–Waite–Smith deck, Pamela Colman Smith also worked on book illustrations and theater designs before meeting Arthur Waite, according to the Morgan Library & Museum.

Taroverie's editorial invitation is to notice how composition, gesture and setting guide our attention. This is a way of looking, not evidence that a particular card originated in a particular theatrical production.

Begin with two questions: What do I see? What meaning am I adding? Keeping observation distinct from interpretation leaves room for both the artist's recorded history and the viewer's present encounter.