Alexander II, Tsar of Russia, King of Spades

This hand-colored engraving depicts Tsar Alexander II in formal ceremonial dress, rendered as the King of Spades in a French playing card deck. Produced by B.P. Grimaud of Paris during the Second Empire, the card exemplifies mid-19th-century European court imagery and diplomatic portraiture. Alexander II wears a green military tunic with gold epaulettes, a red sash of state, and an ermine-trimmed cape, standing before a throne and royal regalia. The spade suit—traditionally associated with nobility and authority—frames this international sovereign for French audiences, reflecting the geopolitical alignments and cultural fascinations of the period. Such cards served both as gaming implements and as accessible vehicles for celebrity and statecraft.