VISCONTI TAROTS Those who believe that the art of miniature painting disappeared at the end of the Middle Ages couldnt be more wrong. In Eastern Europe this refined technique continues today, so much so that it is still being taught in art schools. Even if miniature painting is more or less confined to monastic centers, there are a few artists who modernize it by producing original works. One of these is Atanas Alexander Atanassov, a brilliant Bulgarian painter to whom Lo Scarabeo has entrusted the difficult task of reproducing what is definitely the most famous deck of miniature cards: the Visconti-Sforza Tarot. Today, the originals are partially housed at the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York, partially at the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo, and partially in the private collection of the Colleoni family of Bergamo. This work was realized shortly after 1450 by an unknown Lombard artist, perhaps connected with the school of Francesco Zavattari, on behalf of the new Lord of Milan Francesco Sforza (†1466) who had recently risen to power following his marriage to Bianca Maria Visconti, natural daughter of Duke Filippo Maria (†1447). Unfortunately the deck divided between Bergamo and New York is incomplete, lacking four cards: the Devil, Tower, 3 of Swords, and the Knight of Pentacles. The missing figures were inspired by analogous figures of that time; in particular, the artist based the Devil and the Tower on the socalled Rosenwald Sheet (Paris, Musée du Louvre) printed in ...
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