Articles
Une ambiguïté règne quand au genre (sujet délicat ces temps-ci !) du cartier qui en était le fabriquant et distributeur. (english version below)
Une recherche Google montre que plusieurs sites internet d'« experts» du Tarot ("le guide du tarot" http://www.leguidedutarot.com/tarot-ancien/6/ [ http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/?url=http://www.leguidedutarot.com/tarot-ancien/6/ ], mais également le cartier marseillais Philippe Camoin ou Alejandro Jodorowsky sur le même site http://www.camoin.com/tarot/-Tarots-de-Marseille-.html, le site "tarot de marseille gratuit" http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/?url=http://www.tarotdemarseillegratuit.fr/autres-tarots/ ou la page d'une vente aux enchère ebay http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.fr%2Fws%2FeBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D300552334365 ) le désignent comme le Tarot de "Suzanne Bernardin" et non "Bernardin Suzanne", avançant systématiquement que ce jeu particulier serait une exception dans le sens le maître-cartier serait une « maîtresse cartière ».
Il y a eu des femmes menant des affaires de maîtres-cartiers, ce ne serait donc pas un exemple unique, en effet les veuves de cartiers ont pu récupérer l'affaire de leur défunt époux - par exemple, connu et documenté par Gérard Van Rijnberk, "Veuve Toulon" à Marseille (ce que Rijnberk avance étonnamment comme explication du V.T du Chariot du Tarot de Nicolas Conver(*)).
Nos « experts » seraient-ils dans le vrai ?
D'autres indices laissent supposer le contraire si l'on considère le travail d'experts (sans guillemets cette fois).
Premièrement le catalogue "Cartes à jouer et Tarots de Marseille, la donation Camoin" - probablement (?) connu du propriétaire actuel de version moderne de la maison Camoin - qui liste aux numéros 203, 210 et 211 le cartier Bernardin Suzanne (dans l'ordre prénom, nom de famille).
Deuxièmement et plus loin de nous mais beaucoup plus proche de la source, l'article de Romain Merlin sur l'origine des cartes à jouer dans le volume II du seizième tome de la Revue Archéologique écrit également à la page 759 le "tarot de Bernardin Suzanne" dans l'ordre habituel prénom-patronyme ; en 1859 il donne également la datation de 1839. Il paraîtrait excessivement surprenant que le perspicace Romain Merlin n'ait pas relevé qu'il s'agissait d'une femme si tel était le cas.
En conséquence il est plus sérieux d'oublier cette histoire de "madame Suzanne Bernardin", mais maintenant que le doute a été largement semé et imprimé noir sur blanc dans certains ouvrages, il ne sera possible de trancher définitivement que lorsqu'un chercheur sérieux aura trouvé dans les registres marseillais une pièce identifiant clairement monsieur Suzanne, Bernardin de son prénom.
Cela doit rester une leçon pour nous autres amateurs de tarots et de cartes, de bien vérifier nos faits et constats, et de souligner les hypothèses, car ils sont nombreux ceux et celles qui exploiteront tout « détail inhabituel » pour en faire un argiment à leurs théories personnelles, ce qui ne peut qu'embrouiller les chercheurs sincères.
Notes :
* : étonnamment car les initiales sur la carte du Chariot sont censées être celles du graveur, pas celles du cartier à moins qu'il s'agisse de la même personne, et il serait tout aussi étonnant que la veuve du cartier Toulon ait été experte dans la taille de moules.
(note : this was written in 2011 but was left unpublished in drafts) Some copies of the quite late (1839) "de Marseille" tarot pack by Bernardin Suzanne have regularly been seen on auctions for a few years.
A peculiar gender ambiguity has been spread about this tarot cardmaker...
A rapid Google investigation shows that several "tarot experts" websites ("le guide du tarot" http://www.leguidedutarot.com/tarot-ancien/6/ [ http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/?url=http://www.leguidedutarot.com/tarot-ancien/6/ ], Marseille modern cardmaker Philippe Camoin along with Alejandro Jodorowsky on http://www.camoin.com/tarot/-Tarots-de-Marseille-.html, "tarot de marseille gratuit" http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/?url=http://www.tarotdemarseillegratuit.fr/autres-tarots/ or this ebay auction: http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.fr%2Fws%2FeBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D300552334365 ) all call this deck as "Suzanne Bernardin" tarot and not "Bernardin Suzanne", all of them being quite affirmative about the cardmaker gender : if Suzanne is not the patronym, then it's a woman's name.
Some women actually were in charge of cardmakers business, this wouldn't be a unique occurrence, as cardmakers widows or heirs were allowed to rule their late husband or father workshop - a pretty famous example was documented by Gérard Van Rijnberk in his book about Tarot : "Veuve Toulon" à Marseille (which Rijnberk presents - probably erroneouosly - as an explanation for the V.T initials on Conver's tarot Chariot(**)).
So are our "experts" right ?
Other clues let think otherwise when we consider experts (without quotation marks) works.
For instance, the catalogue "Cartes à jouer et Tarots de Marseille, la donation Camoin" - probably (?) known from the current owner of the modern Camoin factory - lists at entries #203, #210 & #211 the cardmaker "Bernardin Suzanne" (in the order given name, family name).
Second and even more convincing evidence : chronologically further away from us but much closer to the source, Romain Merlin's paper about playing cards origin in the Revue Archéologique, sixteenth tome, volume II wrote at page 759 "tarot de Bernardin Suzanne" in the normal order given name-family name ; in 1859 he also gives the 1839 date. It would be extremely unlikely that the very accurate Romain Merlin would not point the case of a female cardmaker ... if this were the case.
Hence we can assume Bernardin Suzanne had Suzanne for family name, and was a male, although now that a doubt has been spread we have to wait for some diligent scholar to investigate in Marseille registries just to be certain.
This should be a lesson to us tarot amateurs, to double check our facts and avoid creating rumours because they are legions those who will exploit any "unusual detail" and use it to acertain their personal theories, which can do nothing but mislead honnest seekers.
Notes :
* : probably errouneously sinc initials on the Chariot card are supposed to be the engraver initials, not the cardmakers unless it is the same individual, and it would be no less surprising regarding the period ideology that a cardmaker widow had any formation and expertise in carving cards molds.
(note : this was written in 2011 but was left unpublished in drafts) Some copies of the quite late (1839) "de Marseille" tarot pack by Bernardin Suzanne have regularly been seen on auctions for a few years.
A peculiar gender ambiguity has been spread about this tarot cardmaker...
A rapid Google investigation shows that several "tarot experts" websites ("le guide du tarot" http://www.leguidedutarot.com/tarot-ancien/6/ [ http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/?url=http://www.leguidedutarot.com/tarot-ancien/6/ ], Marseille modern cardmaker Philippe Camoin along with Alejandro Jodorowsky on http://www.camoin.com/tarot/-Tarots-de-Marseille-.html, "tarot de marseille gratuit" http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/?url=http://www.tarotdemarseillegratuit.fr/autres-tarots/ or this ebay auction: http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.fr%2Fws%2FeBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D300552334365 ) all call this deck as "Suzanne Bernardin" tarot and not "Bernardin Suzanne", all of them being quite affirmative about the cardmaker gender : if Suzanne is not the patronym, then it's a woman's name.
Some women actually were in charge of cardmakers business, this wouldn't be a unique occurrence, as cardmakers widows or heirs were allowed to rule their late husband or father workshop - a pretty famous example was documented by Gérard Van Rijnberk in his book about Tarot : "Veuve Toulon" à Marseille (which Rijnberk presents - probably erroneouosly - as an explanation for the V.T initials on Conver's tarot Chariot(**)).
So are our "experts" right ?
Other clues let think otherwise when we consider experts (without quotation marks) works.
For instance, the catalogue "Cartes à jouer et Tarots de Marseille, la donation Camoin" - probably (?) known from the current owner of the modern Camoin factory - lists at entries #203, #210 & #211 the cardmaker "Bernardin Suzanne" (in the order given name, family name).
Second and even more convincing evidence : chronologically further away from us but much closer to the source, Romain Merlin's paper about playing cards origin in the Revue Archéologique, sixteenth tome, volume II wrote at page 759 "tarot de Bernardin Suzanne" in the normal order given name-family name ; in 1859 he also gives the 1839 date. It would be extremely unlikely that the very accurate Romain Merlin would not point the case of a female cardmaker ... if this were the case.
Hence we can assume Bernardin Suzanne had Suzanne for family name, and was a male, although now that a doubt has been spread we have to wait for some diligent scholar to investigate in Marseille registries just to be certain.
This should be a lesson to us tarot amateurs, to double check our facts and avoid creating rumours because they are legions those who will exploit any "unusual detail" and use it to acertain their personal theories, which can do nothing but mislead honnest seekers.
Notes :
* : probably errouneously sinc initials on the Chariot card are supposed to be the engraver initials, not the cardmakers unless it is the same individual, and it would be no less surprising regarding the period ideology that a cardmaker widow had any formation and expertise in carving cards molds.
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