Charity, plate 38 from Genii and Virtues
Medium
Engraving on paper
Dimensions
Image: 17.7 × 9.6 cm (7 × 3 13/16 in.); Plate: 17.9 × 10.1 cm (7 1/16 × 4 in.); Sheet: 18.6 × 10.5 cm (7 3/8 × 4 3/16 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
11475
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Part of the thematic tarocchi group Geniuses and Virtues, this engraving depicts Charity as encompassing both the love of God (caritas Dei) and the love of one’s neighbor (caritas proximi). Her right hand shakes coins from an open purse, symbolizing the distribution of alms, while her left hand opens her cloak to reveal her flaming heart, an icon that has been used since the 14th century to signify God’s passion. The pelican at the lower left is also a representation of Charity, as it opens its ...
About the Artist
Master of the E-Series Tarocchi · 1460–1475
The Master of the E-Series Tarocchi was an anonymous Italian engraver active in Ferrara around 1465, during the vibrant era of the Este court. His early life and training remain undocumented, but stylistic affinities link him to artists collaborating with Francesco del Cossa on the frescoes of Palazzo Schifanoia's Salone dei Mesi. Working in the Ferrarese tradition, he produced the pioneering E-se...