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The Pope (from the Tarocchi, series E: Conditions of Man, #10), before 1467. Creator
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The Pope (from the Tarocchi, series E: Conditions of Man, #10), before 1467. Creator
The Pope (from the Tarocchi, series E: Conditions of Man, #10), before 1467. While differing greatly from traditional Tarocchi or tarot cards, this set earned its misleading name because of a few, unimportant similarities. Never a game, scholars generally agree that this set was an educational tool, used to visually describe a fifteenth-century philosophical model of the universe. It was believed that the universe was a ladder-like structure that began with the beggar and rose through the ranks of man, the muses, the liberal arts, the virtues, and the planets, until it finally reached the pinnacle, the dwelling place of God. Reflecting this order, these fifty engravings were divided into five groups of ten: the Conditions of Man; Apollo and the Muses; the Liberal Arts (with three added disciplines--Poetry, Philosophy, and Theology); the Virtues (with three personifications of cosmic principles called " genii" ); and the Firmaments of the Universe. Designed, engraved, and hand-coloured in gold by anonymous artists and craftsmen, the series exists in two versions. The museums set, known as the " E" series (named for the letter in the lower left corner of the prints in the first group of ten), is believed to be the original, while the " S" series (the letter " S" was substituted for the " E" ) is considered to be an inferior copy, made within a decade of the first
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Media ID 19648765
© Heritage Art/Heritage Images
Engraving Hand Coloured With Gold Ferrara Master Of The E Series Tarocchi Italian
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This print showcases "The Pope" from the Tarocchi series, specifically from the Conditions of Man set, created before 1467. Although these cards differ significantly from traditional tarot cards, they acquired their misleading name due to a few minor similarities. Scholars widely believe that this set was not intended for gaming but rather served as an educational tool to visually depict a fifteenth-century philosophical model of the universe. According to this model, the universe was perceived as a ladder-like structure starting with beggars and ascending through various ranks such as man, muses, liberal arts, virtues, and planets until reaching its zenith at God's dwelling place. To reflect this hierarchical order, fifty engravings were divided into five groups of ten: Conditions of Man; Apollo and the Muses; Liberal Arts (including Poetry, Philosophy, and Theology); Virtues (featuring three personifications known as "genii"); and Firmaments of the Universe. Anonymous artists and craftsmen meticulously designed these prints before engraving them by hand and adding gold accents. Two versions exist today: the original museum set referred to as the "E" series (named after the letter in its first group), while an inferior copy made within a decade is known as the "S" series (with "S" replacing "E"). This particular print offers us a glimpse into history—an intricate work of art that once served both educational and philosophical purposes in understanding humanity's place within an ordered universe.
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