Cleveland Museum of Art

The Angel of the Ninth Sphere (from the Tarocchi, series A: Firmaments of the Universe, #49)

Master of the E-Series TarocchiLinkedCulture matchlcp-0e90d5e870aa

Date

before 1467

Medium

engraving

Culture

Italy, Ferrara, 15th century

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Object ID

106394

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, Primo Mobile (Prime Mover or the Angel of the Ninth Sphere) is personified as a full-length angel, turned to left, and holding up a large sphere in its hands while only standing on its left foot. The Prime Mover corresponds to the ninth and last of the material spheres, beyond the region of the fixed starts. It was believed to be crystalline and invisible, as well as in direct contact with the First Cause—God himself—from which it takes its infinite speed. Thus, it is here shown as an empty disc held by an angel in a dancing pose.

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