Did you know that the four suits of a modern-day deck of playing cards once represented the four classes of society in medieval France? Hearts represented the clergy, Spades the nobility, Diamonds the merchants, and Clubs the peasants. Author Lydia Miller has reimagined these suits as Seers, Warriors, Influencers, and Dissenters, curating the fifty-four women artists featured based on these categories. Laura Callaghan’s stunning, detail-packed illustrations will make you want to flip open the accompanying guide to learn about each artist.
Contributors
Lydia Miller
Author
Lydia Miller is an author, curator, and art historian. Her previous projects include the Reframing Narratives: Women in Portraiture project at the National Portrait Gallery in London. She published her first book, Inspirational Women: Rediscovering Stories in Art, Science and Social Reform, in 2022.
Laura Callaghan
Illustrated By
Laura Callaghan is an Irish illustrator based in Belfast, renowned for her visually rich female-centric illustrations, hand-painted in watercolor, gouache, and isograph pen. She also illustrated Queen of Arts: Women Artists Book and Playing Cards. Follow her on Instagram @lauracallaghanillustration.
