The Servant, plate two from The Ranks and Conditions of Men
Medium
Engraving on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 17.9 × 10.1 cm (7 1/16 × 4 in.); Sheet: 18.2 × 10.4 cm (7 3/16 × 4 1/8 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
11486
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Among the most perplexing early prints produced in Italy are the 50 engraved tarocchi (tarot) cards created in Ferrara in the mid-15th century. Although the prints are the shape and size of playing cards, they do not form a full tarot deck, and it is not known if they were really intended for use. The complete Tarocchi series is divided into five thematic groups: Ranks and Conditions of Man; Apollo and the Muses; Liberal Arts; Geniuses and Virtues; and Firmaments of the Universe.
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...