Cleveland Museum of Art

Sun (from the Tarocchi, series A: Firmaments of the Universe, #44)

Master of the E-Series Tarocchi

Date

before 1467

Medium

engraving

Culture

Italy, Ferrara, 15th century

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This engraving is part of the Tarocchi group marked with the letter “A”, and named Firmaments of the Universe . This series comprises the seven planets from the classical astronomy (Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) and the three celestial spheres that separate them from the Supreme Entity ( Prima Causa ) from which everything was originated. Here, Sol (Sun) is personified as a male figure, in profile, steering a chariot drawn by four horses in the sky, and above an imaginary landscape. In his right hand holds up a sun-face, whilst he looks towards a scorpion. Sun appears as Helios , the Greek God of Sun, and father of Phaeton. The latter secretly mounted Helios’ chariot, became frightened once high over the earth, and consequently fell from the sky down into the river Eridanos, as it is shown in this print.

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