Among the images published by the Morgan Library and Museum in New York for its current exhibition, “Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions,” one card immediately caught my attention: the Death card from the Visconti-Sforza deck.
Death does not appear particularly frightening. The skeleton has an almost cheerful expression, with its feet firmly touching the ground while the surface above them remains covered in gold. To me, it looks as if death is the reality that finally makes our feet touch the ground. We may feel disturbed even by its name, but it is one of the few cards that will eventually belong to a king and to the rest of us.
Tarot, however, was not created to tell us whether an ex-lover will return or what will happen in our careers next month. The Visconti-Sforza deck dates from approximately 1450 to 1480 and was painted by Bonifacio Bembo for Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti, the Duke and Duchess of Milan. The cards may have been a diplomatic or commemorative gift, and because they show relatively little wear, it is not even certain how frequently this luxurious deck was played.
A still from a video of the Morgan Library and Museum’s “Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions” exhibition.
