Tarot History Forum

In his 1985 book The Tarot Trumps, John Shephard reproduces a 1488 Venetian engraving of the Triumph of Love from Petrarch's Trionfi.



In the bottom left there is what appears to be a Popess. Shephard identifies her as such: "In the foreground is The Popess with her book". (p. 39)



The figure does appear to be more female than male, given the wimple around the face. Although not mentioned in Petrarch's poem, Pope Joan would be suitable for the Triumph of Love because of the love child that ultimately gave her away.

Many such engravings were based on manuscript illuminations, and it would be interesting to see if there is an earlier painted manuscript with this figure in it.

Ross

I'm reading Moakley. She identifies the Popess as the Pope's wife.

This had never occurred to me. (Why not? I'm the person who thought Rider-Waite Ace of Cups was just a really nice goblet.)

Is the Pope her hubby?

debra wrote: Is the Pope her hubby?

so who was the popes bride? The Church? Rome?

No, silly!

Mr Emperor and his wife, Mrs Emperor aka Empress

Mr Pope and his wife, Mrs Pope aka Popess aka Papess(e)(a)--a woman of many spellings

Moakley says the earliest trumps orderings is:

Fool--Bagatino (Magician/Juggler/Cobbler)--Empress--Emperor--Papessa (female pope)--Papa (Pope)--and then others

Having the female and male popes together makes them seem more a couple, does it not?

Not really, seem an obvious couple to me whatever the order. The Tarot de Marseille ordering makes them a dicing pair (5 paired with 2, 3 with 4, like the opposited pairs on a dice cube). Does that mean our Ephesisan Juggler (kubios/diceman) should be paired with the Lover? (Yes I know, there is no number symbolism in the tarot! Just being playful). The marriage of heaven and earth, of bride and groom, the above with that which is below , top face with bottom face = VII the Chariot (1/6, 2/5, 3/4) in which the charioteer ascends - or descends?

* Juggler
** Popesse
*** Empress
**** Emperor
***** Pope
****** Lover

Let not thy sword skip one:
Pity not honour'd age for his white beard,
He's an usurer: Strike me the counterfeit matron;
It is her habit only that is honest,
Herself s a bawd : Let not the virgin's cheek
Make soft thy trenchant sword; for those milk-
paps,
That through the window-bars bore at men's eyes,
Are not within the leaf of pity writ,
But set them down horrible traitors: Spare not the
babe,
Whose dimpled smiles from fools exhaust their mercy:
Think it a bastard, whom the oracle
Hath doubtfully pronounc'd thy throat shall cut,
And mince it sans remorse: Swear against objects;
Put armour on thine ears, and on thine eyes;
Whose proof, nor yells of mothers, maids, nor babes,
Nor sight of priests in holy vestments bleeding,
Shall pierce a jot.

SteveM wrote:Does that mean our Ephesisan Juggler (kubios/diceman) should be paired with the Lover?

Soothsayer

To none but thee; no more, but when to
thee.

If thou dost play with him at any game,
Thou art sure to lose; and, of that natural luck,
He beats thee 'gainst the odds; thy lustre thickens,
When he shines by: I say again, thy spirit
Is all afraid to govern thee near him;
But, he away, 'tis noble.

Ant. Get thee gone:
Say to Ventidius, I would speak with him:

{Exit Soothsayer}

He shall to Parthia.—Be it art, or hap,
He hath spoken true: the very dice obey him;
And, in our sports, my better cunning faints
Under his chance: if we draw lots, he speeds:
His cocks do win the battles still of mine,
When it is all to nought; and his quails ever
Beat mine, inhoop'd at odds. I will to Egypt:
And though I make this marriage for my peace,

{Enter Ventidius}

I' the east my pleasure lies:—O, come, Ventidius, You must to Parthia; your commission's ready: Follow me, and receive it. {Exeunt}

I found a possible painted precursor to the 1488 image. Unfortunately I have only a black-and-white image which can't resolve much detail.


Triumph of Love from a Venetian printed edition of 1478, with painted illustrations from c. 1480 (taken from J.B. Trapp, "Illustrations of Petrarch's "Trionfi" from Manuscript to Print and Print to Manuscript" (1999) reprinted in "Studies of Petrarch and His Influence" (Pindar Press, 2003) fig. 10.

This is apparently the first printed edition of the Trionfi, with the second known one being the 1488 edition noted in the first post on this thread. The 1488 edition also includes the first engraved images of the Trionfi.



You can see the cardinal(s ?) and bishop behind the Popess, all figures also included in the 1488 edition. It's not as clear the figure is a Popess as it is in the 1488 version.

Sorry I can't do better at the moment. This image is not published in color or high quality anywhere I can find yet.

Ross