Heroes of Ancient Israel: The Playing Card Art of Arthur Szyk

In the 1930s Arthur Szyk joined a storied artistic tradition of illustrating an exquisite set of playing cards.  Painted in the highest style in watercolor and gouache on paper, the twelve court cards - four Kings, four Queens, and four Jacks- each feature a different Jewish her from the bible or ancient history.  Every idealized portrait includes the hero's name in Hebrew calligraphy and a symbolic element alluding to his or her story.

This book details Szyk's artwork and the histories of his subjects, the famous Jews of the ancient world.

Written by Allison Claire Chang

Paperback, 60 Pages. Published 2011