Uncut Sheet of Tarot Cards
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Woodblock Cards
Cards produced from woodblocks were by far the most common. Simple in both design and production, the decks were printed from large woodblocks, typically two blocks with twenty-four cards each, then cut from the printed sheet into individual cards. There were, of course, many variations. Most were not colored, but those that were usually were limited to two colors, applied with the aid of stencils. Discarded when worn, few of these ordinary cards have survived. Because woodblocks were used continuously until they were worn or damaged beyond repair, and because they were widely reproduced and replicated, surviving cards may well reflect earlier designs.
Suits: Cups, Swords, Batons, and Coins
14 cards in each suit: King, Queen, Knight, Knave, 10 through 1, plus 21 trump cards (here unknown) and 1 Fool
Left to right, top to bottom:
1 of Swords, Batons, Cups, and Coins;
Knight of Batons and Swords (male);
Knight of Cups and Coins (female);
King of Batons, Swords, Cups, and Coins;
Knave (Centaur) of Coins, Swords, Cups, and Batons;
2–9 of Cups
Cards produced from woodblocks were by far the most common. Simple in both design and production, the decks were printed from large woodblocks, typically two blocks with twenty-four cards each, then cut from the printed sheet into individual cards. There were, of course, many variations. Most were not colored, but those that were usually were limited to two colors, applied with the aid of stencils. Discarded when worn, few of these ordinary cards have survived. Because woodblocks were used continuously until they were worn or damaged beyond repair, and because they were widely reproduced and replicated, surviving cards may well reflect earlier designs.
Suits: Cups, Swords, Batons, and Coins
14 cards in each suit: King, Queen, Knight, Knave, 10 through 1, plus 21 trump cards (here unknown) and 1 Fool
Left to right, top to bottom:
1 of Swords, Batons, Cups, and Coins;
Knight of Batons and Swords (male);
Knight of Cups and Coins (female);
King of Batons, Swords, Cups, and Coins;
Knave (Centaur) of Coins, Swords, Cups, and Batons;
2–9 of Cups
Artwork Details
- Title: Uncut Sheet of Tarot Cards
- Date: 15th century
- Culture: North Italian
- Medium: Woodcut on paper
- Dimensions: 11 1/4–11 3/4 x 17 1/8–17 3/8 in. (28.7–29.8 x 43.4–44 cm)
- Classification: Miscellaneous-Paper
- Credit Line: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Rosenwald Collection (1951.16.6)
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters