Alexander the Great from Cartes héroïques

This hand-colored engraving depicts Alexander the Great as a playing card from a French *Cartes héroïques* (heroic cards) deck. The figure stands in classical military dress—short tunic, greaves, and armor—holding a shield and pointing staff. The card's architectural border with crenellations frames the figure like a heraldic emblem, while the clubs suit mark and inscription identify the historical subject. Such educational card decks were popular 19th-century tools for teaching history and classical culture. The print exemplifies the period's revival of classical imagery and the use of sequential, standardized formats—visual strategies that would influence emerging comic narratives and the grammar of sequential art.