Who painted Playing Card?

Playing Card was painted by German 15th Century in 1401.

Where can I see Playing Card?

Playing Card is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Playing Card?

Playing Card is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

Playing Card

German 15th Century , 1401

Playing Card is an ink print by the Renaissance artist German 15th Century. It dates from 1401 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The work is a hand‑colored woodcut depicting a stylised tree whose eight leaves each take the form of a traditional playing‑card suit.

About this work

Overview

The work is a hand‑colored woodcut depicting a stylised tree whose eight leaves each take the form of a traditional playing‑card suit. Rendered in black ink on a light ground, the composition combines simple line work with stippled detailing within the leaf shapes.

Subject & Meaning

The image presents a symbolic tree whose foliage is composed of the four suits, clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades, repeated twice. By merging botanical and gaming motifs, the print alludes to the interplay of chance and nature, a theme common in early modern visual culture.

Technique & Style

Created by carving a design into a wooden block, the artist applied ink to the raised surfaces and pressed it onto paper, a process known as woodcut. After printing, the work was hand‑colored, giving the black outlines a subtle tonal variation. The rough edge of the piece reflects the manual nature of the block‑cutting method.

History & Provenance

The piece belongs to the broader tradition of early European printmaking, where woodcuts were used to disseminate popular imagery. While specific dates and ownership records are not provided, such hand‑colored woodcuts were commonly produced for private enjoyment or instructional purposes during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Context

Playing‑card imagery entered European visual vocabulary after the introduction of card games in the late medieval period. Artists incorporated the suits into decorative and allegorical works, often employing the woodcut medium for its affordability and reproducibility, allowing such motifs to reach a wide audience.