Wow, here is a very helpful summary of everything we have been discussing, with the exception of Dal Ponte and Pesellino's cassoni. It is a study of Judas imagery, but of course much of this imagery is found under Hope in the Virtues-Vices pairings.

From Janet Eileen Robson, Speculum Imperfectionis. The Image of Judas in Late Medieval Italy (Ph.D. for Courtauld Institute, London, 2001). Volume 2.
Volume 2, Illustrations
https://www.academia.edu/40958598/Specu ... STRATIONS_

Volume 1, Text
https://www.academia.edu/40958597/Specu ... 9&rw_pos=0

Ross Caldwell wrote: 23 Aug 2023, 10:19

mikeh wrote: 23 Aug 2023, 09:12
I don't doubt Dal Ponte's importance for Florence, but you don't have to look far for other cycles (unless, as is very possible, I have missed what is special about Dal Ponte).

I take it that Phaeded means pairings of Virtue/Liberal Art with a single positive exemplum. This may be splitting hairs, though, a distinction without a difference.

The key difference is the liberal arts necessarily show positive examples engaged in the art in question, while the virtues, in these earlier examples, always overcome a negative vice exemplum. Following the arts in providing a positive exempli for the virtues is not beyond "splitting hairs" - its changing the theological/moralistic tone (overcoming sin) and placing the focus on being an upstanding civic participant - being a successful burgher. The horizontal format of dal Ponte - where the exempli are provided with metaphorical dance partners (or rather instructors - the virtues lead) - versus the virtues as vertically arranged Good atop Evil (like Michael spearing the devil/serpent below him) couldn't be more different in outlook. The virtues have undergone a fundamental change in their didactic use. Perhaps this all stems from the War of the Eight Saints and the wish to create a polity that was not so tied to the Church, but the religious aspect of the virtues in dal Ponte is necessarily in the background when you have Greek heroes (Hercules) and Roman statesmen (Cicero) as the exempli.

The clear source for this would be the liberal arts' exempli, but again, the pagan exempli removes the virtues from being a mere theological crutch.

I make a theoretical leap by positing 7 of the ur-tarot trumps are generic exempli of the virtues, no longer selected from the cycle of 'illustrious men', more in fitting with aforementioned 'burghers' program. That could have come the seven ages of men, as in the prominent dado decoration of the Eremitani in Padua, c. 1365 by Guariento di Arpo. I've referred to this article here multiple times, and here is the relevant passage that describes this, “Time, History and the Cosmos: The Dado in the Apse of the Church of the Eremitani, Padua,” in L. Bourdua and A. Dunlop, eds., Hermits and History: Art and the Augustinian Order in Early Renaissance Italy, 2007: 127-142 (128):


The surviving four planets.


A detail of Mercury instructing his charges:


This was not a cultural dead-end as testified by the Paduan astrological manuscript tradition but also the planetary frescoes in a hall of the Trinci Palace in Foligno (c. 1412), where the different Ages of Man (infancy, childhood, adolescence, youth, adulthood, deterioration, old age, decrepitude) are shown in Hours of the Day roundels above each planet - all of this naturally facing the Liberal Arts on the other side of the hall.



The theory is simple then: dal Ponte is the cultural dead-end (Pesellino reverts to the theological dimension by making the Theological virtues exempli haloed saints and the Cardinals all look to be old testament prophets) but is an intermediary stage in removing the Virtues from a defeating Vice context and providing positive exempli instead; the source for generic positive exempli, simple paragons of civic virtue, is taken from the Ages of Man/Children of the Planets (what I argue we find in tarot).

Finally, note that many of the examples in Robson's Speculum Imperfectionis figure are Triumphs of Augustine....and note the Eremitani in Padua was an Augustinian foundation; indeed one of her examples is from the Eremitani. There is a genetic connection between Guariento's innovative planetary/ages scheme and the older virtues exempli (the former is an erudite, complimentary scheme - a demonstration of the cosmic top down Creator's influence on the life of man from the 7 planets - to the 7 virtues).

Thanks, I see what you mean about how the distinction is meaningful.

The cassone at the Museo del Prado.

https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-col ... ea2951b488

The Madrid cassone's bibliography is extensive, here is the first item
http://www.examenapium.it/cs/biblio/Ancona1902.pdf

It brought up Andrea di Bonaiuto's "Triumph of Saint Augustine" in the Cappellone degli Spagnoli in Santa Maria Novella, painted 1365-1367. The Theological and Cardinal Virtues are flying above him, unencumbered by exempla. Below him are seven sacred sciences and seven liberal arts, which the Italian wikipedia page says are governed by planets, but it seems only the classic liberal arts have planets (none are labeled), while the sacred sciences are governed by cameos of the seven virtues, I am guessing.

While many of the 14 arts and sciences are Christian figures, there is only one Biblical one, Tubal-Cain for music. So maybe we may infer that there was some kind of evolution behind Giovanni dal Ponte's depiction. It helps me understand how the catalogues identify the cassone Liberal Arts exempla, in any case, since none of them explain their reasoning.

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappellone_degli_Spagnoli

The wikimedia page on the chapel has as many hi-res photos as you might wish.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cate ... as_Aquinas

This is just a short note, I'm only getting acquainted with the subject.

Ross Caldwell wrote: 23 Aug 2023, 18:30 ... Andrea di Bonaiuto's "Triumph of Saint Augustine" in the Cappellone degli Spagnoli in Santa Maria Novella, painted 1365-1367. The Theological and Cardinal Virtues are flying above him, unencumbered by exempla. Below him are seven sacred sciences and seven liberal arts, which the Italian wikipedia page says are governed by planets, but it seems only the classic liberal arts have planets (none are labeled), while the sacred sciences are governed by cameos of the seven virtues, I am guessing.

First of all, note this is for a Dominican Triumph of Aquinas and that the Padua scheme is for an Augustinian Triumph of Augustine; competing orders trying to show who was more erudite (the article I cited goes into that in some depth). The planets in the Spanish chapel on the throne back roundels, c. 1366 (contemporary with the Padua dado), are prosaic compared to the Paduan development with the ages of life and activities assigned to each male/female exemplar (the first throne back belongs to the end of a different series - note the gap - the rest of which is off photo to the left):



The key:

Phaeded wrote,

The key difference is the liberal arts necessarily show positive examples engaged in the art in question, while the virtues, in these earlier examples, always overcome a negative vice exemplum. Following the arts in providing a positive exempli for the virtues is not beyond "splitting hairs" - its changing the theological/moralistic tone (overcoming sin) and placing the focus on being an upstanding civic participant - being a successful burgher

I see what you mean. Thanks. "Song of the Virtues and Liberal Arts" does not have positive examples along with the personifications of the virtues. In the case of Fortitude, what it uses the example as its image of the virtue: in this case Samson. There is also Judith, on the side. Here is Dorez, p. 27-28, with my translation:

Carta 3 r. - Segue la Fortezza (Forttiudo). Sopra un monte, che ha il
sinistro fianco adorno di fiorite pianticelle (papaveri selvatici e margherite), sorge
una torre a due piani. Di questi il secondo, più stretto dell'altro e senza finestre,
reca queste parole: Magnanimitas Magnificentia Fiducia Pacientia Perseve-
rantia Constantia Securitas Tollerantia (sic). A pie del monte si vede, a sini-
stra, un giovane incoronato, armato da capo a piede, di cui una vesta partita di
verde e di rosso ricopre il giaco di maglia ; è Sansone, che con ambo le mani
divarica le mascelle dell'atterrato leone. A destra, sotto un padiglione, sovra un

28 LEONE DOREZ
letto coperto di drappi bianchi ed azzurri giace il barbuto Oloferne, cui domina
ludith, inginocchiata, con una grande squarcina mozza il capo. Al capezzale del
letto, l'ancella delPeroina, donna d'età piuttosto avanzata, ravvolta in un cappuccio
bruno, aspetta il compimento dell'opera per serrare in un sacco, di cui già tien
aperta la bocca, il teschio del nemico (Olloffernes).

Folio 3r. – There follows Fortezza (Fortitudo). On a mountain, of which the left side is adorned with flowers (wild poppies and daisies), rises a two-story tower. Of these the second, narrower than the other and no windows, bears these words: Magnanimitas Magnificentia Fiducia Pacientia Perseverantia Constantia Securitas Tollerantia (sic). At the foot of the mountain you see on the left, a crowned young man, armed from head to foot, with a vest of green and red covering a coat of mail; it is Samson who with both hands spread apart the jaws of a fallen lion. On the right, under a pavilion, on a [start p. 28] bed covered with white and blue drapes lies the bearded Holofernes, of whom domina Iudith, kneeling, with a great slash, severs the head. At the head of the bed, the maid Peroina, a woman of rather advanced age, wrapped in a brown hood, waits for the fulfillment of the work to enclose in a sack, which she already holds with its mouth open, the skull of the enemy (Olloffernes).

The word "Fortitudo" actually appears above Samson. Judith is mentioned in the poem:

Mo s' tu voi la chiareza
Di suoi begli occhi haver[ej per tua lumiera,
Vivi in chotal mainiera
Liber[o], sechuro, aliegro. e poi la corte
D*amor t'avran consorte,
Si chom fiducia [in] Judith Olloferne
Havé, che '1 vixo dal chorpo glie dicerne.

For Justice (p. 30) there is the note in the margin:

De iusticia edidit Augustinus librum unum quiincipit: "Salomon sapientissimus„ et librum de perfectione iustitie
hominis; quam sic diffinit libro de moribus Ecclesie:

But Solomon is not in the illustration. Perhaps the crowned figure in the incipit below the illustration is meant to be him, although this is not the only incipit with a crowned figure. Photos of the pages are in the back of the book. Justice is on p. 122 of the archive.org scan and Fortitude p. 120, https://archive.org/details/lacanzonede ... 0/mode/2up. I didn't see any other positive examples mentioned.
.
The Cary-Yale, of course would, seem to be following the virtues overcoming vices tradition of this and Nicolo, in the case of Hope, Faith, and Charity. Hope has an anchor (as in the Song of the Virtues illustration of Hope) and is on top of Judas. Faith would be over Mohammed (of more topical interest than Arius; I thought he was mentioned somewhere, but a word-search doesn't bring it up.). Charity over Herod, wearing a crown. Except Mohammed, these were standard. On the other hand, Fortitude, with the lion, is a female personification. Perhaps the knight on the CY World card is meant as an example of Fame, the lady on top. The chariot-lady with the shield might be both the personification and an example of Pudicizia. And likewise for the PMB "second artist" Fortitude.

mikeh wrote: 24 Aug 2023, 10:41 Faith would be over Mohammed (of more topical interest than Arius; I thought he was mentioned somewhere, but a word-search doesn't bring it up.). Charity over Herod, wearing a crown. Except Mohammed, these were standard.

You're not misremembering, this was a thread where we we discussed what could be interpreted as long-worn letters above the defeated figure's crown, which Leopoldo Cicognara, who believed what the numismatist Gaetano Cattaneo told him he saw when they both viewed the cards shortly before 1831, said spelled out the name "Martiano."

It was a short thread started by Marco, here -
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=378&hilit=cicognara+martiano

I just couldn't believe how long ago that thread was - 2009! It seems like yesterday.

Have you changed your opinion that these letters seem to be "m a r t"? Or is it just random wear that appear to be letters? I myself can't make up my mind. But if anything, I would guess some form of "m a o m e t."

I wish Marco had continued to look for imagery of Mohammed with a crown. I have not done so.

I wrote up the career of the erudite myth of Marziano's painting of these cards here last year -
viewtopic.php?p=24872#p24872

Ross Caldwell wrote: 24 Aug 2023, 14:51

mikeh wrote: 24 Aug 2023, 10:41 Faith would be over Mohammed (of more topical interest than Arius; I thought he was mentioned somewhere, but a word-search doesn't bring it up.). Charity over Herod, wearing a crown. Except Mohammed, these were standard.

[image]
Have you changed your opinion that these letters seem to be "m a r t"? Or is it just random wear that appear to be letters? I myself can't make up my mind. But if anything, I would guess some form of "m a o m e t."

Why wouldn't the other two theological virtues have their defeated kings named? Is it possible that reads INFAMIA (granted the second "i" is not apparent, but the lower front curves of the proposed "a"s are identical and must be the same letter)?

The opposition of infamy and faith, or rather the imposition of wrathful infamy maintaining faith, is implicit as an incongruity here between the two words, as found in Machiavelli's Prince for one example (and of course an infamous ruler is the context for our card):

Debbe, per tanto, uno principe non si curare della infamia di crudele, per tenere e' sudditi sua uniti et in fede (Capitolo XVII). [Therefore, a prince ought not to worry about the infamy of being cruel, in order to keep his subjects united and in faith]

Is it possible that at a later point someone wrote on this card with their proposed identification - like one encounters in marginalia - and it was subsequently erased, hence the paint loss?

It does look similar to the same Italian Gothic as one finds on the other CY cards (purposely imitated?), but they are in gold leaf and Faith has nothing but erasure with no sign of gilt. Queen of Coins script on her lady in waiting, re-oriented horizontally:



Finally, note that Fortitude does not have a vice figure beneath it, so the old Virtue over Vice scheme was restricted to the Theologicals (Pesellino does something like this in that his three theologicals are all halo-ed - the cardinal exempli are not). And of course the theologicals are removed/replaced altogether with the PMB, so they should always be thought of as a subgroup. And I stand by this statement: No way two allegorical figures holding a cross-staff were in the same deck; CY did not have both Faith and the nearly synonymous Ecclesia (both a sort of bride for the Bridegroom):

Phaeded wrote: 24 Aug 2023, 16:59 Why wouldn't the other two theological virtues have their defeated kings named?

I asked myself the same question. No clear room for a name, and no trace of the purported lettering in any case.

Is it possible that reads INFAMIA (granted the second "i" is not apparent, but the lower front curves of the proposed "a"s are identical and must be the same letter)?

! INFAMIA.jpg

The opposition of infamy and faith, or rather the imposition of wrathful infamy maintaining faith, is implicit as an incongruity here between the two words, as found in Machiavelli's Prince for one example (and of course an infamous ruler is the context for our card):

Debbe, per tanto, uno principe non si curare della infamia di crudele, per tenere e' sudditi sua uniti et in fede (Capitolo XVII). [Therefore, a prince ought not to worry about the infamy of being cruel, in order to keep his subjects united and in faith]

Interesting suggestion. Although I can see your reconstruction, it doesn't seem to fit the traditional or expected context. Wouldn't all of the defeated ones be infamous anyway, particularly Judas? Judas isn't crowned, either, which makes it certain that the guy under Faith represents a faithless ruler, or an infidel.

Is it possible that at a later point someone wrote on this card with their proposed identification - like one encounters in marginalia - and it was subsequently erased, hence the paint loss?

It does look similar to the same Italian Gothic as one finds on the other CY cards (purposely imitated?), but they are in gold leaf and Faith has nothing but erasure with no sign of gilt. Queen of Coins script on her lady in waiting, re-oriented horizontally:

Yes, the proposed lettering does resemble the rest of the real lettering on the cards. Why it would have worn off so much, in contrast to the others (except for that of the Love card) is hard to explain.

I think I'm going to remain skeptical that it is lettering at all. Even if it were, the name will be conventional, not revelatory of something unprecedented.

Finally, note that Fortitude does not have a vice figure beneath it, so the old Virtue over Vice scheme was restricted to the Theologicals (Pesellino does something like this in that his three theologicals are all halo-ed - the cardinal exempli are not). And of course the theologicals are removed/replaced altogether with the PMB, so they should always be thought of as a subgroup. And I stand by this statement: No way two allegorical figures holding a cross-staff were in the same deck; CY did not have both Faith and the nearly synonymous Ecclesia (both a sort of bride for the Bridegroom):

I don't know, the Popess has a book as well, and Faith has a cup.

But, presuming there was a Popess in the VdM, maybe Bembo's model didn't have a cross. In Rosenwald she holds a key (the Pope the other one, I've never thought of them paired in that way before), in Budapest a crozier and, perhaps, a key as well.
Marco Benedetti, who recreated the Budapest deck and used the highest resolution scans he could, gives the Popess a key and crozier, and the Pope the cross.

Cary Sheet doesn't show much, but I think we can assume a book as well.

There are enough differences between VdM and PMB to assume that the later Bembo didn't copy the earlier.

Ross wrote,

Have you changed your opinion that these letters seem to be "m a r t"? Or is it just random wear that appear to be letters? I myself can't make up my mind. But if anything, I would guess some form of "m a o m e t."

I wish Marco had continued to look for imagery of Mohammed with a crown. I have not done so.

Yes, after reading Dorez I did change my mind. Following Hope overcoming Judas (despair?), it would be faith overcoming heresy. It doesn't hurt that the Ottoman emperor, starting in 1444, had a similar name, "Mehmed." The previous emperor, "Murad", fits what is there, as much as anything. But who knows?

Antitypes at the bottom of the cards, certainly Hope, are another way in which Robertet continues imagery of the Cary-Yale, as Nathaniel argues.

I have at times imagined that the PMB Popess might be a reconfiguration of a Prudence card in the Cary-Yale, which sometimes was shown with book and cross-staff. But the resulting similarity to Faith counts against that. I do agree with Phaeded - and one hypothesis of Dummett's (Game of Tarot, p. 87) - that there would have been a Prudence card in the Cary-Yale. But I think it's just missing. It probably would have looked like the Minchiate version, easy to recognize. On the other hand, if it wasn't easy to recognize, that could be a reason for dropping it.

Ross Caldwell wrote: 24 Aug 2023, 17:50

Phaeded wrote: 24 Aug 2023, 16:59 Finally, note that Fortitude does not have a vice figure beneath it, so the old Virtue over Vice scheme was restricted to the Theologicals (Pesellino does something like this in that his three theologicals are all halo-ed - the cardinal exempli are not). And of course the theologicals are removed/replaced altogether with the PMB, so they should always be thought of as a subgroup. And I stand by this statement: No way two allegorical figures holding a cross-staff were in the same deck; CY did not have both Faith and the nearly synonymous Ecclesia (both a sort of bride for the Bridegroom):

I don't know, the Popess has a book as well, and Faith has a cup.

But, presuming there was a Popess in the VdM, maybe Bembo's model didn't have a cross. In Rosenwald she holds a key (the Pope the other one, I've never thought of them paired in that way before), in Budapest a crozier and, perhaps, a key as well.

Of course neither of us would call that card the "Popess" - it is either Faith or Ecclesia and for both to be in the same deck looks absurd on the face of it. As for two papal-tiarad female figures in the Rosenwald, there's hardly a consensus on what that deck even is and you want to use that to explain the ur-tarot? The ambiguities of the Rosenwald is made clear by Pratesi's own chart of it's 3rd sheet in 2016: viewtopic.php?p=17007#p17007


Assuming the theologicals were present in a deck in Florence - where surviving series of the 7 virtues are writ large everywhere (and the earliest known deck includes them, the CY) - is unexceptional. To propose two church allegories - 'papessi' - by retro-dating the assumed format of the fragmentary Rosenwald back to the ur-tarot, is beyond speculative, especially since there is no sign of a second 'popess' in any of the hand-painted decks we find in Ferrara and Milan (or even Pesaro/Catania-Castello Ursino). That speculation needs something more convincing than fragmentary sheets printed in c. 1501 in Perugia.