Sun (from the Tarocchi, series A: Firmaments of the Universe, #44) (before 1467): Art, History and Details

Sun (from the Tarocchi, series A: Firmaments of the Universe, #44) (before 1467) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Master of the E-Series Tarocchi (Italian, active 1460s).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

This engraving is part of the Tarocchi group marked with the letter “A”, and named Firmaments of the Universe. This series comprises the seven planets from the classical astronomy (Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) and the three celestial spheres that separate them from the Supreme Entity (Prima Causa) from which everything was originated. Here, Sol (Sun) is personified as a male figure, in profile, steering a chariot drawn by four horses in the sky, and above an imaginary landscape. In his right hand holds up a sun-face, whilst he looks towards a scorpion. Sun appears as Helios, the Greek God of Sun, and father of Phaeton. The latter secretly mounted Helios’ chariot, became frightened once high over the earth, and consequently fell from the sky down into the river Eridanos, as it is shown in this print.

Object facts

• Title: Sun (from the Tarocchi, series A: Firmaments of the Universe, #44)
• Date: before 1467
• Creator attribution: Master of the E-Series Tarocchi (Italian, active 1460s)
• Culture: Italy, Ferrara, 15th century
• Type: Print
• Technique: engraving
• Collection: PR - Engraving
• Department: Prints
• Accession number: 1924.432.44

Collection credit

Dudley P. Allen Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.