Re: Ercole d'Este deck and Palazzo Schifanoia

3
... the Ferrarese had the Palazzo Schifanoia with Manilius, why should they have it also at their cards? The paintings at Schifanoia were started 1469 ... and was an ongoing project. They printed a Manilius edition (1472).

Borso was very interested in a world map 1465. Peurbach taught ca. 1448-1450 in Ferrara. They were very interested in astronomy and one of the leading Ferrarese scholars in this time was Pellegrino Prisciano, astrologer, poet, and historian, who with enthusiasm had studied Peurbachs teachings. So you have the the star with simple astronomical instruments, and the moon with complicated instruments (to show the progress) and the sun shows the scene between Alexander and Diogenes, so "philosophy against war" ... if that's correct analyzed, this were really progressive. Ferrara had made more or less peace politic since 1427. ... and that had been a wise decision. Niccolo, Leonello and Borso clearly went this direction, Ercole showed a little more engagement in military matters.

The deck was likely not done before 1473.

Actually Ferrara had also made the Boiardo Tarocchi poem, and this was completely different. And likely also the Sola Busca, and this again was different. This court was very creative.
Huck
http://trionfi.com

Re: Ercole d'Este deck and Palazzo Schifanoia

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Thanks for responding. Try to explain my confusion.

Ok. We have:

Image


1. Star: Two astronomer. The left astronomer maybe is Regiomontanus.

See Huck hypotesis in Medici Deck: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=517#p7252

In any case, the scene seem a parody of the Medici Moon. Astronomers without instruments ...

2. Moon: Ptolomeus.

We recognize the clothing as "Egyptian" and instruments.

For example,
http://www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/r14310/Ptolemy/Ziletti.html

(And Peurbach is great defender of Ptolemus).

3. Diogenes et Alexander...A. Vitali gives this interpretation:
he card of the Tarot of Ercole I d’ Este (figure 5) represents Diogenes seated in his barrel while talking with a young man, presumably Alexander the Great. The image refers to the Biblical teaching mentioned in the Book of Ecclesiastes (1:12, 17), that is that everything that happens under the Sun is vanity, even the thoughts of the wise (2:12, 7). The same teaching is to be found in the card of the Sun of the Paris Tarot by an anonymous author of the 17th century, where a woman looks at a mirror held by a monkey's hand (figure 6). When there is no consciousness that the research of beauty is vane, human nature gets down at the same level of the animal one. The men should remeber that “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again” (Ecclesiastes 3:20).
I dont understand this:
and the sun shows the scene between Alexander and Diogenes, so "philosophy against war" ...
Please, Huck, can you explain this? I am very interesting.

.......................

Well... In any case, I dont see Manilius or Schifanoia in this cards.

If we asume this date is correct "not done before 1473" (and I think is correct), is stange. We have a Maniliusmania in Ferrara, at since, 1469. But the discourse of the cards is astronomy, not astrology. In Cary Sheet, for example, we have a crab ... There's nothing here. Only scientists ... Where is the Salone dei Mesi?

I am confused for for the absence. Is the same case with Petrarch ... Why not talk about chess? Why are not astrological signs in the tarot of Ercole d'Este?
When a man has a theory // Can’t keep his mind on nothing else (By Ross)

Re: Ercole d'Este deck and Palazzo Schifanoia

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mmfilesi wrote:Thanks for responding. Try to explain my confusion.

Ok. We have:

Image


1. Star: Two astronomer. The left astronomer maybe is Regiomontanus.
No ... in the case of the Medici deck Toscanelli was very near (cause he worked for the Medici) and Regiomontanus once might have been a "big visit". At least both wrote letters to each other. Cosimo in any case had information about it. The physiognomy of Toscanelli was very remarkable and the left person has stronger similarity, although Toscanelli probably wasn't thick. Regiomontanus (right figure) looks a little bit like the common engraving from him ... at least similar hat.
Why should the Ferrarese paint Regiomontanus? In 1473 Regiomontanus was a distant astronom and publisher in Nurremberg.
I think that the d'Este card star is meant to show "confused astrologs" with not precise technique.

The other card shows Ptelomy, that's probable ... in contrast to the both others with precise instruments.
3. Diogenes et Alexander..
I dont understand this:
and the sun shows the scene between Alexander and Diogenes, so "philosophy against war" ...
Please, Huck, can you explain this? I am very interesting.
I interpret the picture this way, that's the explanation ... others might interpret different, and the reality might be also different. Did you read Momus meanwhile (or the description) ... :-) ... ? Momus praises the role of the beggar.
Ercole seems to have been much more "realistic" than Borso. Cynism is topic to Lucian and Lucian is a very special writer. His "Symposium" (from a book critique) http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2005/2005-09-50.html ...
Because Lucian is imitating pretty obviously the symposia of Plato and Xenophon in the opening scene, he gives a tip-o-the-hat to these authors at the beginning of his account of an evening which is going to be very different from Agathon's swank victory celebration. The guests at Lucian's symposium are a mix of posh society types and professors from the mainstream sects. There's a Platonist in attendance, also a Stoic, an Epicurean, an Aristotelian; and then there's Alcidamas, the Cynic, who behaves in a very impulsive manner: he crashes the gate, teases and badgers the other guests, strolls around the dining room eating and drinking whatever he likes, sits and lies on the floor, goes off half-cocked at the slightest provocation and must be placated from time to time with pastry and booze, exposes himself and urinates in front of the ladies, and feels up the musician when the lights go out. In literary terms, Alcidamas is something of a stock character; figures very like him wander through the banquets of Athenaeus, Alciphron and Macrobius, as Cynics acting out an extended etymological gag.8 To get Lucian's gag the reader is going to have to be familiar with Diogenes Laertius or will need to be fortified with substantial notes.

... is rather funny. Alberti got Lucian texts from Guarino. Guarino was the "dominant teacher" in Ferrara, at least from 1430 - 1450. The intellectual Ferrara is his work ... in the 1430's there were 30 students, and in the 1440's 300 (so I've read, if it's correct, I don't know).
Ercole had been early in Naples, so Guarino couldn't work too much on him, but somehow he got the spirit. Ercole showed very quickly interest in Pulci's Morgante, and then Boiardo started to work on his Orlando version. Both are also "funny texts". Later he engaged for theater and he loved comedies.

Well... In any case, I dont see Manilius or Schifanoia in this cards.

If we asume this date is correct "not done before 1473" (and I think is correct), is stange. We have a Maniliusmania in Ferrara, at since, 1469. But the discourse of the cards is astronomy, not astrology. In Cary Sheet, for example, we have a crab ... There's nothing here. Only scientists ... Where is the Salone dei Mesi?

I am confused for for the absence. Is the same case with Petrarch ... Why not talk about chess? Why are not astrological signs in the tarot of Ercole d'Este?
... .-) there is really not much need for a MUST of a crab, which appeared in Marseille Tarot nearly 200 years later ... this fixation at specific iconography styles is superfluous and disturbs the realistic view necessary for research.. These decks were made to have some fun with a game. Although these special versions for rich people were expensive, they were in comparison to other objects of art NOT SO expensive ... for these rather rich persons. Small art, not so important.
Huck
http://trionfi.com

Re: Ercole d'Este deck and Palazzo Schifanoia

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Thanks for the development. :)
in the case of the Medici deck Toscanelli was very near...
Ok. I understand. I reserve my doubts by the the turban.
Why should the Ferrarese paint Regiomontanus
?

I dont know yet. I need to know more about astronomy in Ferrara in 1470. In any case, it seem a jocke about the Moon in the Medici's deck?
I think that the d'Este card star is meant to show "confused astrologs" with not precise technique.
Yes I totally agree with this.
Did you read Momus meanwhile (
#-o not yet
and Lucian is a very special writer.
Yes. I know him. I love it. :ymparty:
... is rather funny. Alberti got Lucian texts from Guarino. Guarino was the "dominant teach
Perfect. Thanks friend. I go to read Momus and then I can answer.
there is really not much need for a MUST of a crab, which appeared in Marseille Tarot nearly 200 years later ... this fixation at specific iconography styles is superfluous
Yes, yes I know... But I think in the crab of Salone dei Mesi, not in crab of Cary Sheet. This is an example crab. Well. You and me see the world cup and we joked about Paul. If after 20 years you and me speack about octopus, we think Paul. I cant believe after the Salone dei Mesi in the Este court they can talk about astronomy, whitout astrology.
When a man has a theory // Can’t keep his mind on nothing else (By Ross)

Re: Ercole d'Este deck and Palazzo Schifanoia

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mmfilesi wrote:
Why should the Ferrarese paint Regiomontanus
?

I dont know yet. I need to know more about astronomy in Ferrara in 1470. In any case, it seem a jocke about the Moon in the Medici's deck?
I assume, that "jocke" = "joke".
In my idea of the Charles VI. deck it was made for Lorenzo de Medici in 1463, with Lorenzo getting 14 years old (1.1.1463). This is estimated on the general observation, that playing cards (and Trionfi) were - at a specific period maybe 1420 - 1470 and for the "society of the rich" - accepted for kids and very young "grown-ups" in the age from maybe something like 14-18 or 14-21. After this "teenager period" it was expected, that at least male persons should be interested in chess, jousts, hunting, some intellectuality ... as far it was expected, that they should develop some knight behavior and weren't dedicated for a career in the church.

1471 is marked by the point, that (1) printing industry showed increased development and (2) that Sixtus IV became pope. Pope Sixtus had a lot of young nephews, all grown up with relative humble conditions and education, so with another social education, in which the question of playing cards were handled different (how this precisely had been, we don't know, but they came from Savona, so somehow between France and Italy, and it seems likely, that there were less prohibitive tendencies "for normal people" as for instance in Florence, so middle and Southern Italy. These "low-birth" persons changed their personal income from "few" to very much in short time, and they very quickly dominated Italian society (which means, their behavior was imitated), and they behaved at least partly according their earlier education. So the prohibitive tendencies against playing cards were overcome for some time (with the result of very much gambling especially in Rome) with a draw-back in 1497/98 with the Savonarola movement, which even reached a prohibition in Ferrara (we cannot point to an earlier precedence, although playing cards seems to have been "out" maybe 1445-1449) for some time.
The increased printing industry should have had an effect on the development of the use of woodcut technique and this should have had some effects on playing card production.

Back to 1463 ... the situation was different then. Florence had have a "deep prohibitive tendency" between 1440-1449 thanks to the near relations to pope Eugen. In 1450 we then have "Pope Eugen 3 years dead", "peace in Italy" and a "Jubilee year with many foreign tourists", all factors working together to become a little more liberal in matters of playing behavior. So we an allowance in Florence, in which also "Trionfi" is noted (December 1450). Italy gets further festivities with the Emperor wedding, then with Borso triumphal festivities cause the duke title. But then "war again" (1452) and as a big impact the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The result are new preachings for a crusade and even playing cards burnings especially in Germany (where traditionally much less prohibitive tendencies can be observed), surely with some side effects also in Italy. In Florence the dominance of the Medici family is raised a little (should be considered in this period "less prohibitive"), and conservative forces (with more prohibitive tendencies) have the word for some time. This inner opposition is overcome and the Medici found themselves with some youth in the own household around 1460. This youth is very important, cause all 3 older Medici are sick and all know, that the possibly next protector of the family is still rather young, actually "too young". So they do a lot to place Lorenzo de Medici inside the Florentine society, likely more, as they would have done under different conditions.
The youth needed some playing card freedom ... so there was a new law in 1463. The Medici build a whole gang of talented youth around Lorenzo, his legendary brigade. They are allowed to show there abilities in the festivity of the Pope Pius visit 1459 ... with Lorenzo as leader and 10 years old. The Medici invested in education and good conditions.

And then Lorenzo got this deck, assumed in early 1463 ... there is no joke with the moon. All the cards were made with some calculated taste especially "for Lorenzo". In 1463-1464 death strucks in the family for 3 times. Uncle, cousin and grand-father Cosimo die. This would have been not the right time for "gambling", playing cards etc.

Then we've the letter of Pulci in 1466, Minchiate appears as word for the first time. "Trionfi" is noted 1463, and "Minchiate" in 1466, and this signals, that a development should have taken place in the meantime, and likely in Florence.

The major influence for Lorenzo in these years (compare your own youth) is his "peer-group", and somehow naturally "his teachers" and very natural his mother ... cause the older Medici are all sick and can hardly walk, that's not very inspiring for a 12-14 year old boy (and his younger brother, his cousin and all the other of the brigade).

Lucretia Tornabuoni spend some time at Cafaggiolo, one of the Medici villas ...

Image

... outside of Florence in the Mugello. And in the Mugello lived Luigi Pulci.

... :-) ... I've read a good part about the origin of the Morgante (well, a really important work of Italian history of literature), but nobody of the studied authors noted the simple, but really relevant "fact", that very simply the distance between Cafaggiolo and Pulci's mill was rather short (a few kilometer's). And it simply explains a lot. Cafaggiolo had been renovated till around 1458 and it seems to have Lucretia's place of escape, cause all three other older Medici's likely were too sick or too occupied with other business to surpass the rather long distance very often. So Lucrezia had "her place" there - and very practical, the poet Pulci lived around the corner. Lucretia had own literary interests, she wrote herself, and she engaged for the Giovanni festivities, which needed annually some literature for small religious plays - street theater in other words. So she was for Florence this usual literature popess, which existed also at many places, for instance in the salons of 19th century.

... .-) ... you're a writer yourself, so you should know this type.

In this case the literature popess needed somebody, who had an eye on the plays of some 8-12 years old boys without disturbing to much, just too avoid they didn't break a leg or got other trouble during their explorations of the landscape. It was unavoidable, that Pulci "taught" occasionally something, how to bind a shoe, how to climb a tree, how to make a fire, how to handle a horse, how to shoot a bow and occasionally a little bit of literature with the result, that later a lot of the members of the brigade inclusive Lorenzo became "writing humans", well accepted authors.
Pulci was a "man of the nature", and he had trouble with these "complicated citizens". But he had already developed in own writing (so he got this job) and Lucretia "gave him the commission" to write the Morgante.
We didn't find anybody of the Morgante analysts, that noted very much about the brigade and Pulci's real function. Also nobody notes, that "Morgante" is rather obviously funny "youth literature". From the Morgante it is known, that it had its final edition 28 chapters, in a version around 1470 23 chapters and (started in 1461) in ca. mid 1463 15-16, so that actually the most of it was done, when Lorenzo had been 12-14.

So instead "gave him a commission" we have to place there a "caring mother Lucrezia", a "half-teacher and man-for-a-lot-of-things" Pulci and "a wild company of limited dwarfs" with own interests as the creative center, which caused the "Morgante" ... somehow, with Pulci as the man for the "final design", all made for the moment, with no direct aim to publish, all laid to a rest, when the situation didn't fit anymore (naturally nobody knew in these moments, that this was a piece of world literature).
To the same wild circle we probably have to assign the true background of the Charles VI. Tarot ... and likely we have to search the invention of Minchiate here, naturally not only out of own force, but just reworking input of the outside on the level of 12-16 years old with some controlling hand of Pulci as the experienced (so much for the period 1463 - 1466, the time, when the term "Minchiate" was born, a deck form, which probably had more than 14 or 16 trumps).

It was unavoidable, that Lorenzo grew older and got other responsibilities and interests.

In 1465 he got the "commission" of an official journey to some other cities and courts to make himself known as an official new representative of the Medici house (15 years old) - a general custom to send the heir a little bit around to make some experiences and learn about the "right people". At the given opportunity there existed the bride journey of Ippolita Sforza with great entourage from Milan via Florence to Naples, where she should marry. A big show ... and Lorenzo was planned to guide the bride (+ entourage) from Milan to Florence, where there should be visited the Giovanni festivities for a few days (so around 24th of June). Lorenzo took his journey - of course - in May. He stayed too long in Ferrara ... Piero in Florence was exited about him.

Once in Milan, it's said that he made a good impression. But a lot of things "went wrong" ... Louis XI in France got into a deep political crisis, which led quickly to war, Galeazzo Maria prepared to leave with an army. The festivities in Florence suffered from some fears about a near plague and by the insecure general political situation. Worst of it: Ferrante killed Jacopo Piccinino in Naples, husband of one Sforza's daughters (half-sister of Ippolita). Francesco Sforza stopped the cavalcade and the complete journey ... much later the contract was renewed and the wedding could take place.

Well, the hypothesis goes, that in this time Lorenzo made something, which caused the existence of the 6 cards, which were added to the 5x14-Bembo-deck and so formed the Pierpont-Morgan-Bergamo deck, as it has come to us.
The expanded hypothesis assumes, that Lorenzo's prolonged stay in Ferrara had possibly something to do with it.

Well, the general idea is, that the "youth of the nations" met at these wedding preparations in Milan. Likely anybody contributed something. Naturally they preferred items, which were "in" and somehow belonged "to their age".

Any big developments start small, often somehow accidental, not intended as "big change", mostly rather trivial. Mostly nobody knows, that this becomes later "very important".
Huck
http://trionfi.com

Re: Ercole d'Este deck and Palazzo Schifanoia

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Now I can answer :) .

Thank you very much for the development, Huck!
thers might interpret different, and the reality might be also different. Did you read Momus meanwhile (or the description)
Thank you dear friend! (*)

Yes, may be++. Momo's speech in the second chapter is very clear here. I also find interesting your assumptions about Momo and the Fool in this deck. We need more documents about Diogenes in Ferrara about 1470. Another pictorial or literary documents we can compare.
I assume, that "jocke" = "joke".
:) ...Yes... but I cant explain good. Its a joke made in Ercole deck against Medici deck. I try:

a) In Medici deck the have two astronomers pride.

b) I assume in Ferrara know the Medici's deck.

c) Florence is cultural rival of Ferrara.

d) Ercole laughs a little about the deck of Florence. Your astronomers dont have instruments ... ha, ha, ha ... are a bit useless :ymparty: We really know about astronomy...

Well, this it's a castle in the air...

+++++++

1)
In my idea of the Charles VI. deck it was made for Lorenzo de Medici in 1463, with Lorenzo getting 14 years old (
Yes, yes... I knew and I share much of this hypothesis yours, but I believe in a longer period: 1461-1465 <-why?

Piero could not walk. It's a good reason to play cards.We dont know if the deck was made to Piero or Lorenzo or Lucrezia Tornabuoni. We have the note of Pulci, but is not enough. In Spanish we have a expression: Its a requirement necessary but is not sufficient. In any case, I think this line of research open by you is correct.

2)
In 1463-1464 death strucks in the family for 3 times. Uncle, cousin and grand-father Cosimo die.
Interesting observation. Yes.

3)
Ferrante killed Jacopo Piccinino in Naples
Probably with the collaboration of Francesco Sforza, I suspect.

4.
Well, the hypothesis goes, that in this time Lorenzo made something, which caused the existence of the 6 cards,
Well ...

We have these data:

a) The cards were painted quickly or by a bad artist.

b) Why they accepted a badly painted cards? They were a gift?

c) In the triumphs of the Star (pregnant) - Moon (virgin) - Sun (child) something sounds like a wedding ...

d) Interestingly this element. Vitali:

In the illuminated card of the Triumphs of Francesco Sforza the Sun is shown as a youth with wings [...] The youth is virtually naked; on his neck, he wears a coral necklace, a reference to the dry heat of the Sun based on the theory of humours. Identical necklaces can be found, in Medieval and Renaissance art, on the necks or wrists of children as talismans against the plague.

Maybe its relationship with:
The festivities in Florence suffered from some fears about a near plague
When a man has a theory // Can’t keep his mind on nothing else (By Ross)

Re: Ercole d'Este deck and Palazzo Schifanoia

9
mmfilesi wrote:
Yes, may be++. Momo's speech in the second chapter is very clear here. I also find interesting your assumptions about Momo and the Fool in this deck. We need more documents about Diogenes in Ferrara about 1470. Another pictorial or literary documents we can compare.
Diogenes is a "funny" philosoph. But the "funny antique author" is Lucian ... the distribution of Lucian's writings during 15th century is a key observation ... and it follows later the German/English Lucian reception ... with the somehow German Fool explosion, which produces the phenomenon, that Sebastian Brant's "Ship of the Fools", which quickly becomes international literature, and for the German region the "one bestselling book" till Goethe's Werther (from 1775, which would mean a 200 years reign of the "Ship of the Fools" ... something like "Harry Potter").
Well, "bestselling", that's a real number, something, which with one can count and realize, what had been "really influential" in history.

... "Diogenes" is only a funny philosoph, who didn't write. Pulci ("Morgante") - Boiardo (called best Italian author of second half of 15th century, most famous work "Orlando innamoroto") - Ariost ("Orlando Furioso", called the great Italian work of 16th century) is the serious and great Italian Fool literature. Something, what the Spaniards have in their Don Quixote ...
Ercole got the Morgante early (in 1474), Boiardo started to write soon later and Ariost was also from Ferrara ... :-) ... so, what do you search? That's a very clear and very popular (and Ferrarese) line.

The second very clear line are the number of prints of theater literature around and after 1470. Many titles, many editions. This are simply very much, and much of them are comedies. And then we have the start of big theater with 3000-10.000 onlookers in Ferrara since 1484. And from these beginnings we earn then commedia dell'arte. And after this all these Italian operas ... .-)

All these are major lines of social developments. And beside this the developing tendency to celebrate public events with triumphal marches, drinking, carnival etc.

You needn't to look for a lonesome astrological book as the major factor of a Tarot development in secrecy ... the real secret origin is loud, makes noise and beats the drum and talks occasionally dirty jokes ... :-)

... Its a joke made in Ercole deck against Medici deck. I try:

a) In Medici deck the have two astronomers pride.
b) I assume in Ferrara know the Medici's deck.
c) Florence is cultural rival of Ferrara.
d) Ercole laughs a little about the deck of Florence. Your astronomers dont have instruments ... ha, ha, ha ... are a bit useless :ymparty: We really know about astronomy...
I don't know. I would think, that we don't know enough about the d'Este cards. There's not not enough information. Also there are at least 10 years between the productions.

1)
In my idea of the Charles VI. deck it was made for Lorenzo de Medici in 1463, with Lorenzo getting 14 years old (
Yes, yes... I knew and I share much of this hypothesis yours, but I believe in a longer period: 1461-1465 <-why?

Piero could not walk. It's a good reason to play cards.We dont know if the deck was made to Piero or Lorenzo or Lucrezia Tornabuoni. We have the note of Pulci, but is not enough. In Spanish we have a expression: Its a requirement necessary but is not sufficient. In any case, I think this line of research open by you is correct.
I would think, that Piero was too serious and didn't waste his time. Also I would think, that most elder Florentine in this period didn't play cards ... they still knew the prohibitive phase, partly they had organized it themselvers. They allowed it, as there was some pressure of the youth and of lower classes, the "general change of time".

... :-) ... Usually elder men proceed with that, what they found good and interesting enough in "their youth". They not easily change their customs later. And Pietro had enough administrative things to rule, life wasn't boring to him.

...
4.
Well, the hypothesis goes, that in this time Lorenzo made something, which caused the existence of the 6 cards,
Well ...

We have these data:

a) The cards were painted quickly or by a bad artist.

b) Why they accepted a badly painted cards? They were a gift?

c) In the triumphs of the Star (pregnant) - Moon (virgin) - Sun (child) something sounds like a wedding ...

d) Interestingly this element. Vitali:

In the illuminated card of the Triumphs of Francesco Sforza the Sun is shown as a youth with wings [...] The youth is virtually naked; on his neck, he wears a coral necklace, a reference to the dry heat of the Sun based on the theory of humours. Identical necklaces can be found, in Medieval and Renaissance art, on the necks or wrists of children as talismans against the plague.

Maybe its relationship with:
The festivities in Florence suffered from some fears about a near plague
The six cards look 3x the same "not too good looking woman", 1x a man with lion = Hercules, twice there are putti.
The cards give the impression, that they were made in a haste. Lorenzo was in a haste in Ferrara ... the father Pietro said, that he lost too much time there.

Borso 8 years before, when Galeazzo Maria (13 years old) visited Ferrara, acted this way:

First action: He ordered 2 card decks, gilded, worthwhile, 70 cards.
Second action (Galeazzo stayed six weeks): He bought colors from Gherardo Vicenza , and had a page paint Trionfi cards. The reason is unknown, but counting with 2-3 fingers let's us imagine, that the page, likely a boy in a similar age like Galeazzo, painted a few cards for Galeazzo. Naturally Borso could have ordered Gherardo Vicenza to paint a few more, but this was obviously not the intention. Not the quality of the final result was deciding, but that the boys had a little fun creating Trionfi cards.

25 years before, 1.1.1441, a creative game was played with Bianca Maria Visconti (15 years old), somehow she got 14 painted objects, like also Trionfi cards, possibly connected to a similar creative arrangement before. Either it was Niccolo or Leonello, who organized it, the painter was a professional.

So there was a sort of tradition in Ferrara, that there were made surprises for young guests on the background, that there were constantly a lot of artists hanging around (in the period 1455-1460 all the miniaturists of the Borso bible). Perhaps this was a Ferrarese special and the two examples, that we know of, are only the peak of a bigger mountain.

In 1465 Borso had not too much time to develop his charm towards Lorenzo (which he likely would have done, cause he knew of the political importance of this 16-years old man).
In France a political decision was done in May 1465, that made the Medici change their heraldic. They changed from 7 palle to 6 palle, and one carried a French Lille, cause the political grace of Louis XI, who had rather concrete problems and needed urgently money from the Medici. The news likely came to Lorenzo during the journey, possibly in Ferrara.
Well, we've six cards and six palle, and not too much free time in May 1465 in Ferrara.
Huck
http://trionfi.com

Re: Ercole d'Este deck and Palazzo Schifanoia

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:) Thanks for the development, Huck.

++++
Borso 8 years before, when Galeazzo Maria (13 years old) visited Ferrara, acted this way:

First action: He ordered 2 card decks, gilded, worthwhile, 70 cards.
Second action (Galeazzo stayed six weeks): He bought colors from Gherardo Vicenza , and had a page paint Trionfi cards. The reason is unknown, but counting with 2-3 fingers let's us imagine, that the page, likely a boy in a similar age like Galeazzo, painted a few cards for Galeazzo. Naturally Borso could have ordered Gherardo Vicenza to paint a few more, but this was obviously not the intention. Not the quality of the final result was deciding, but that the boys had a little fun creating Trionfi cards
Please, can you said me where I can find this documents in Trionfi? I need this.


++++
"Diogenes" is only a funny philosoph, who didn't write. Pulci ("Morgante") - Boiardo (called best Italian author of second half of 15th century, most famous work "Orlando innamoroto") - Ariost ("Orlando Furioso", called the great Italian work of 16th century) is the serious and great Italian Fool literature. Something, what the Spaniards have in their Don Quixote ...
Ercole got the Morgante early (in 1474), Boiardo started to write soon later and Ariost was also from Ferrara ... :-) ... so, what do you search? That's a very clear and very popular (and Ferrarese) line.
Yes, yes, I agree. In Ferrara folly and "homeless" and satire are breathing, great sumary of the situation... but after, in century XVI or XVII (I dont know the date exactly), in general, Diogenes became a """"saint"""".

I need more Diogenes in Ferrara in 1470 for understand well this Diogenes :)

++++
You needn't to look for a lonesome astrological book as the major factor of a Tarot development in secrecy ...
Yes... of course... I dont search a lonesome astrological book... Precisely I dont understand why dont exist this book.

I try to explain otherwise.

You ask why Petrarca dont talk about chess. It's a natural question. Chess is in the air.

Ercole's deck, if estimates are correct, was made near with the Salone dei mesi ... A short time later. Its natural the deck had something, whatever, to remind the Salone dei mesi...
When a man has a theory // Can’t keep his mind on nothing else (By Ross)