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Hertz's artwork throughout the deck is both dark and romantic. Her colors are deep and vivid, and her characters both frightening and comical. The emotional charge behind many of these cards makes me swear I know some of these people, ummm... beings. The Minor Arcana cards are equally lovely, and while I first favored the suit of Pentacles, the more I examine the cards, the more information I pick up from the other suits. (I am completely in love with the Knight of Cups. Look him up, you'll see why.)
Surrounding all of her powerfully illustrated cards is a border that is reminiscent of rod iron fencing, perhaps inspired by something from a cemetery she came across. In the border are realities of death, as displayed in her skulls, and the promise of life represented by blooming vines and bunches of grapes. The backs of the cards are appropriately deep red with black borders and black spirals, symbolizing the blood hunt at the dark of night. To create her deck Nathalie implemented metallic inks, fabric and unusual paper into her paintings.
This deck is not only for the eyes, however. Since we all have dark sides, and skeletons in our closets, this may be the perfect deck to use when confronting difficult and dark issues. While the Justice card in most decks is righteous, honorable and regal, the Justice in this deck scares the bejeebers out of me! But perhaps that is the point. The whole theme of this deck is a look into the darker world, the world of Vampires. If I, or someone I loved, were threatened in any way, you'd bet I could become the Justice depicted here. She conveys a power and fierce strength that few people are willing to acknowledge they have. And though the pictures in this deck deal with the most base of human issues - survival - there is an honesty about Nathalie's creatures that many of us have lost. They are unashamedly themselves, with no apologies offered. Taking a step into the world of Natalie Hertz's vampires could oddly enough reveal a more human you.
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