Renée Sturbelle

Published September 18, 2012 Updated March 13, 2022

Artistic playing cards with abstract designs by Renée Sturbelle, first published by Brepols S.A., Turnhout, 1947.

1947 Belgium Brepols Renée Sturbelle Art & Design Cubism Designers

Playing cards designed by Renée Sturbelle, Belgium

Original artistic playing cards with abstract designs by Renée Sturbelle, first published by Brepols S.A., Turnhout, 1947, possibly reprinted by van Genechten in c.1960. The designs are hand-drawn in ink, coloured red, blue and black, and inspired by a sort of simplified cubism. The Jacks are drummers or archers; the Queens are harpists or holding glasses; the Kings are swordsmen or statesmen. 52 cards + Joker. There is not much information available about the artist Renée Sturbelle, who is believed to have been born in Belgium.

Cubist style playing cards designed by Renée Sturbelle, 1947

Above: non-standard fantasy playing cards designed by Renée Sturbelle, produced by Brepols S.A., Turnhout, 1947. 56mm x 89mm. The artwork appears inspired by Cubism, in which objects are analyzed, broken up and reassembled in an abstracted form.

avatar
131 Articles

By Barney Townshend

Member since October 06, 2015

Retired Airline Pilot, interested in: Transformation Playing Cards, Karl Gerich and Elaine Lewis. Secretary of the EPCS. Treasurer of the IPCS.

Related Articles

2006 The Decadent Deck

The Decadent Deck

Studies in the eroticism of the female body by Inge Clayton.

1893 Historic Shakespeare

Historic Shakespeare

“Historic Shakespeare” playing cards featuring Shakespearean characters by Chas Goodall & Son.

1970 Sunday Night / Nichiyoubi no Yoru

Sunday Night / Nichiyoubi no Yoru

An irreverent, avant-garde deck unofficially titled "Nichiyoubi no Yoru" (Sunday Night), designed by...

1982 Emilio Tadini playing cards

Emilio Tadini playing cards

Beautiful dreamlike playing card designs by Emilio Tadini.

1903 Zürcher Festspiel 1903

Zürcher Festspiel 1903

Swiss-suited pack designed by Robert Hardmeyer featuring figures from art and politics.

1873 An Anonymous Belgian Transformation Pack

An Anonymous Belgian Transformation Pack

Anonymous Belgian transformation pack borrowing many images from earlier designs by Braun & Schneide...

2015 Never Mind the Belote

Never Mind the Belote

Limited edition Belote pack with designs by a collective of 24 street artists.

2022 Playing card designs by Franz Exler

Playing card designs by Franz Exler

Reconstruction of playing cards from the original 1903 designs.

2024 MITSCHKAtzen

MITSCHKAtzen

Clever cat designs by the Austrian artist and illustrator Willi Mitschka.

1989 22 Pittori in 22 Arcani

22 Pittori in 22 Arcani

Collaborative Tarot with contributions from 22 different Italian artists including Menegazzi and Tav...

1905 Whist by Ditha Moser

Whist by Ditha Moser

Ditha Moser created this minimalist Whist deck in 1905, in the style of the Vienna Secession art mov...

2018 Keith Haring playing cards

Keith Haring playing cards

Energetic graffiti images by the American artist Keith Haring.

1983 Carte di Natale

Carte di Natale

Designed by Pier Canosa as a Christmas pack for the Cortina Art Gallery in Milan.

2024 Queen of Arts

Queen of Arts

A wide variety of women artists celebrated on cards with illustrations by Laura Callaghan.

2015 Fredericks & Mae playing cards

Fredericks & Mae playing cards

A rainbow pack from the design team of Fredericks & Mae and Benjamin English.

1798 Pam is the Knave of Clubs

Pam is the Knave of Clubs

Playing cards as metaphors in 18th century art - from fate, chance and social hierarchy t...