‘El Cid’ designed by E. Pastor, Valencia, Spain, c.1875
‘El Cid’ fantasy playing cards designed by E. Pastor, Valencia, Spain, c.1875
‘El Cid’ fantasy playing cards designed by E. Pastor and manufactured by Simeon Durá, Valencia, Spain, c.1875
Above: E. Pastor's magnificent fantasy Spanish suited playing cards, printed by Simeon Durá, Valencia, c.1875. The king of coins is based on a painting of Louis XIV of France by the Catalan artist Jacint Rigau i Ros.
This was about the same period when Naipes Heraclio Fournier were developing their own 'Castilian' playing cards and there may have been competition between the rival manufacturers to produce new designs for the market. These designs were subsequently revised and became Durá's standard house-style for 'El Cid' Spanish-suited cards for many decades. E. Pastor also designed Simeon Durá's highly acclaimed fantasy advertising pack for Chocolates 'El Barco'. In both cases the excellence of the artwork is outstanding.
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
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