Two of Spades Marlborough and his Times
Printmaker: Unknown
Spanish ministers, led by the Cardinal Portocarrero, forced Charles II on his sick-bed to sign his final will fixing his entire inheritance on the younger grandson of Louis XIV, Philip, Duke of Anjou, which led to the outbreak of the War of Spanish Succession in 1701. The card portrays the Duke of Anjou (representing France) whipping the Cardinal (as Spain) against a cart with soldiers in the background.
From a complete pack of 52 playing-cards commemorating the victories of the Duke of Marlborough in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). Spades satirise the French and Spanish enemy, the other three suits represent scenes from the campaigns, mostly in the Netherlands, also in Spain and Belgium; the aces, court and some numeral cards are portraits or satirical or allegorical scenes.
A museum catalogue card is included with the pack and pasted with a printed cutting from a sale catalogue, which has been crossed out in graphite: 'CARDS, A Pack of 52 Curious old Engraved Cards / representing Humourous and Comical Scenes, Military / Portraits of Blucher, Wellington, etc. National Emblematic Figures etc. engraved by L. OSIANDER, scarce'. A graphite inscription written on the card below: 'Pack of 52 line-engraved cards, of historical scenes & personages relating to the War of the Spanish Succession.'. The verso is blank.
The pack of cards and catalogue card are contained inside a folded manilla envelope inscribed in ink in a calligraphic hand: 'Marlborough's Victories / A pack of 52 cards / Reproduced in _Playing Cards [of various ages and countries] / selected from the collection of Lady Charlotte Schreiber_, Vol. 1, plates / 35-38 / See also _BM Satires_, vol. II / nos. 1342-4, 1429, 1435, 1452, 1461, 1491, 1492, 1543, 1544, 1557, / 1560-5, 1576, 1585'.
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1923) by Perceval, Spencer George
18th Century
Production date:
circa
AD 1715
: Another set: BM 1841,0508.4-55 is dated 1710-1725
Sheet Height 91 mm Width 60 mm
Inscription present: speech bubble of the Duke of Anjou
Accession number: P.13064-R(2)
Primary reference Number: 186260
Stephens/George: 1342
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Paintings, Drawings and Prints
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Two of Spades" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/186260 Accessed: 2024-11-15 14:32:09
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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/186260
|title=Two of Spades
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-15 14:32:09|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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