Arithmetic
Master of the E-Series Tarocchi Italian
Not on view
This print belongs to a set of fifty tarocchi, or tarot cards. The elegant figure of Arithmetic, represented as an older woman counting coins, is part of a subset of images depicting the Liberal Arts. While the format of the tarocchi may resemble that of cards, they probably were used not for fortune-telling but rather as instructional models for artists and craftsmen. Some clearly were regarded as precious, and most surviving early impressions such as this one have some highlighting in gold wash.