Others have noted, and I will agree, that the style of this deck is very
similar to the art of Alphonse Mucha.  The lines are graceful and rhythmic.  The cards are colorful without being too bright.  One has a sense of wandering through a series of gardens filled with ornate trellises. There is a preponderance of women depicted on the cards, which seems in keeping with the Art Nouveau theme.  One of the things that is interesting and might bother some people is the depiction of the Kings.  On these cards, the women seem to me like ornaments to the Kings, though they are not totally unimportant in these scenes.  The King of Pentacles is perhaps the most provocative.  He seems to be making unwanted advances toward the young woman in question!  It seems that this is meant to convey the lustiness and earthiness of Pentacles, but I personally would have liked it better if it seemed more playful and less forceful.

The Minor Arcana have scenes depicted, usually with a woman or women, and
then along one edge there are that number of suit symbols depicted as well.  Some of these seem reminiscent of Rider-Waite meanings, while others are unrelated.  Sometimes it is difficult to tell from the expressions on the people depicted what emotions or actions are being portrayed.  It does help to refer to the enclosed booklet to fully understand the artist's intent for all the cards, especially those which seem ambiguous.  It would not be difficult to intuit most of the cards meanings however, so the deck would be suitable for both beginners and experience readers alike.

So what about the Little White Book (LWB) that comes with the deck?  While
there is a nice little description of what is happening in each of the pictures in the Minor Arcana, I feel that the Major Arcana received a rather cursory treatment in the LWB.  For the Majors, only a divinatory meaning is given.  I would have liked to see the concise descriptions of the action on the cards that were given for the Minors.  Aside from that, the LWB is adequate and similar to those in most decks.  The Art Nouveau LWB also contains a nifty seven card spread called The Road to Solution, which I liked very much.

The cards themselves are standard size for Lo Scarabeo, which means somewhat
smaller than most decks distributed in the US.  This makes them easier for those with smaller hands to use. The card stock is flexible, yet sturdy.  Lo Scarabeo decks in general use good quality materials and are a pleasure to use and to look at.  I would heartily recommend this especially lovely deck for both readers and collectors.

While I was working with the Tarot Art Nouveau, I had an interesting
experience.  I was unwell, feverish, and sleeping more than usual.  One night, I had been working with the Art Nouveau deck just before going to sleep.  The dreams this evoked were quite vivid.  The cards I had just been looking at seemed to come to life, dancing and talking.  There was a grace and sensuality;
a sense of play and at the same time a sense of important things to tell me.
Unfortunately, because I was so ill, I did not wake up and take any notes on this!  I am left only with the impression that this deck is much more than just a pretty face.  Sweet dreams!

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Guest Review Copyright 2000 by Donna Davis
used with permission