Roi de Pique

Roi de Pique (King of Spades) is a distinctive tapestry by Jean Lurçat, created in 1962. While rooted in his established visual language, the work introduces a more figurative and heraldic presence, centered on a stylized, almost totemic figure.

The composition is built on symmetry. The figure of the king occupies the center, structured in a mirrored format reminiscent of a playing card. This bilateral balance gives the work a strong visual stability, while also flattening the figure into a decorative surface. Rather than a naturalistic body, the form reads as constructed—layered with patterns that suggest feathers, scales, or armor.

A vertical staff runs through the figure, reinforcing the composition’s axis and anchoring the design. Around it, Lurçat integrates his familiar vocabulary of organic forms, reinterpreting the spade motif into leaf-like shapes that merge botanical and symbolic elements. The border becomes part of the language, not just a frame but an extension of the central figure.

In the upper section, a radiant eye introduces another layer. It’s a quiet but deliberate presence, often associated in Lurçat’s work with light, awareness, or a kind of overseeing force. Its placement above the figure shifts the reading slightly, giving the composition a more elevated, almost mythic tone.

Color and contrast are handled with clarity. Strong tones define the figure against the ground, allowing the structure to remain legible at a distance while revealing more detail up close.

Roi de Pique stands apart within Lurçat’s work. It retains his decorative discipline but introduces a more direct, emblematic figure—something closer to a portrait, though still fully embedded in his symbolic world.