Cleveland Museum of Art

Jupiter (from the Tarocchi, series A: Firmaments of the Universe, #46)

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, Iupiter (Jupiter) is personified as a full-length crowned male figure, turned to left. He is seated on a double rainbow and framed by a mandorla with an eagle at the top and a child at the bottom. Dead soldiers appear in the imaginary landscape surrounding Jupiter. The mandorla framing Mars recalls depictions of Christ in majesty in portals of Romanesque cathedrals.

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