The "Coins" cards

On the issue of who is in the 2 of Coins, there is an interesting discussion in Gnaccolini that I skipped over. Also, some of the faces on other cards seem to be modeled on coins with portraits of Roman emperors. It is not a question of the artist actually having the coins to copy from; probably there was some sort of imprint on paper or sculpture ("una mediazione grafica o scultorea", footnote 105). But it does raise the question of who we know that collected Roman coins. I read somewhere that Ercole d'Este did and that he sent Boiardo out places to get them for him on occasion. Probably many people did. But there is a better case for Bernabo Bembo, which "Phaeded" made on THF, related to a "Nero" coin which seems to have been the model for the SB 7 of Swords. I will get to it in a moment.

In the case of the 2 of Coins, a Baldassare d'Este medallion seems to be the closest match: the hat goes on the bottom figure and the face on the top figure. The medallion is of Ercole I d'Este. The significance of the top medallion, of Augustus, is that the headpiece shows the classical style which is exemplified in the laurel leaves on the card. For the other, she proposes Michele Savonarola, as I've said. She says, with references, that he experimented with alchemy in hopes of finding a cure for the plague.



Then there are three more coins, which she puts next to the respective cards. Tiberius goes with Deo Tauro VII. It seems to me that the face on that coin (Tiberius) also matches the lower face on the 2 of Coins. She assigns Claudius to Catone XIII.

And Nero to the Seven of Swords. It seems to me that Nero also matches the Mato.

There is a portrait by Hans Memling of a young man holding what appears to be an exact replica of the coin above, but looking in the opposite direction, as on the card. "Phaeded" posted it at http://forum.tarothistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=988&start=40#p16034. The man in the portrait is evidently Barnarbo Bembo, who served as ambassador to Emperor Charles V in Flanders in 1471-74.

Here is Gnaccolini on these cards and their numismatic models (pp. 35-36 and 55):

Il particolare significato attribuito, tra le carte numerali, al seme di denari pone in rilievo la presenza di due ritratti in profilo, entro ghirlande legate da un anello, scelti a illustrare il numero, due (fig. 1.79). I due ritratti costituiscono per qualche verso il trait d'union tra il recupero del mondo classico (di cui testimoniano i "trionfi"), esemplificato dal profilo laureato dell'imperatore Augusto 105 nel medaglione superiore (fig. 1.80), e l'epoca contemporanea, cui allude evidentemente il naturalistico profilo di sapiente con berretta del medaglione inferiore. Quest'ultimo è certamente un ritratto, condotto con lo spirito un po' caustico, di accentuazione dei tratti fisionomici, che caratterizza lo stile dell'artista un po' in tutte le carte (e si legge anche nella trasposizione del modello monetale in termini di accentuazione quasi caricaturale). Già Arthur Hind nel 1938 aveva intravisto nella figura dell'imperatore laureato del medaglione superiore una possibile allusione, sep [end of p. 35] pure nei tratti fisionomici un po' caricati, al duca di Ferrara Ercole I 106. Se confrontiamo il profilo con quello di Ercole come ci è stato tramandato dai medaglioni realizzati da Baldassarre d'Este nel 1472 107 (tolta la berretta quattrocentesca) sorprenderà ritrovarvi le stesse curve per il naso e per il mento, come se anche il medaglista estense avesse letto il profilo ducale con il filtro di un modello augusteo (fig. 1.81).

Il ricorso a modelli numismatici da parte dell'autore del mazzo, probabilmente mediati da miniature o bassorilievi, viene confermato dalla possibilità di riconoscere il profilo dell'imperatore Tiberio, da un denaro d'argento 108 (fig. 1.82), sotteso a quello di Deiotaro (trionfo VII; fig. 1.84), quello riprodotto dall'aureo di Claudio (una moneta realizzata sulla fine della Repubblica; fig. 1.83) 109 nel volto di Catone (trionfo XIII; figg. 1.25, 1.85), e il profilo di Nerone, così come viene riprodotto nell'aureo coniato (fig. 1.86) dopo la morte di Seneca 110, nell'uomo ritratto nel sette di spade (fig. 1.87).

Più difficile arrivare a una proposta precisa per l'identificazione del personaggio contemporaneo. Il carattere arcaico dell'abbigliamento potrebbe far pensare a un tributo postumo a un grande studioso e alchimista, che potrebbe allora forse essere, vista la coincidenza con i tratti fisionomici tramandati da un ritratto miniato 111, il medico padovano Michele Savonarola 112, nonno del più famoso' Girolamo 113 che, dopo aver a lungo insegnato all'Università patavina, si era trasferito nel 1450 a lavorare alla corte di Ferrara come medico personale di Niccolò III d'Este (e dopo di lui di Leonello e Borso). Studioso di chiara fama, dedito a ricerche alchemiche nel tentativo di affinare la sua scienza medica soprattutto sul versante dei rimedi contro la peste, arrivò a distillare l'elixir di lunga vita, l'acqua vìtae nel senso etimologico del termine, se non proprio elisir dell'immortalità rimedio contro molti malanni.
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105 Martini 1990, pp. 248-249, Ca 1 e qui cat. 9a. La derivazione, in questo come nei casi seguenti, probabilmente non avvenne direttamente dal modello numismatico, ma tramite una mediazione grafica o scultorea. Devo l'identificazione di' questo e dei successivi profili imperiali alla gentilezza di Rodolfo Martini, che desidero sentitamente ringraziare.
106 Hind 1938,1, p. 242.
107 Hill 1967, p. 13 fig. 37; Hill 1984, p. 23 n. 100, p. 28; Johnson, Martini 1986, pp. 6-7 nn. 24-26.
108 Martini 1990, I, pp. 158-159, Ti 11, tav. L e qui cat. 9b.
109 Martini 1990, pp. 360-363, CI 422, tav. CXXIII e qui cat. 9c.
110 Martini 1990, pp. 458-459, Ne 280, tav. CLII e qui cat. 9d.
111 Si veda nel codice bolognese del 1450 Bologna, Biblioteca dell'Archiginnasio, A,125: cfr. Carbonelli 1925, p. 10 fig. 5.
112 Segarizzi 1900; Carbonelli 1925, pp. 10, 154-157; Samaritani 1976, pp. 1-95 (in particolare la bibl. pp. 21-22 in nota 46); Jacquart 1993, pp. 109-122; F. Tomolo, in La
miniatura a Ferrara 1998, pp. 99-101 cat. 12; Pereira 2001, p. 171; Crisciani 2005, pp. 53-68; Crisciani, Zuccolin 2011. Sul rapporto tra alchimia e medicina Crisciani, Pereira 1998, pp. 7-39; Pereira 2003a, pp. 77-108; Crisciani 2003, pp. 217-245.
113 Hind, 1938,1, p. 242 aveva proposto l'identificazione del ritrattato in Gerolamo Savonarola, pur consapevole dei problemi di questa ipotesi, anche per quanto concerneva la cronologia.

(The particular meaning, among the pip cards, given to the suit of coins, emphasizes the presence of two portraits in profile, in garlands linked by a ring, chosen to illustrate the number two (fig. 1.79). The two portraits are in some ways the link between the recovery of the classical world (to which the "triumphs" bear witness), exemplified by the laureate profile of Emperor Augustus in 105 the upper medallion (Fig. 1.80), and the contemporary epoch, to which the naturalistic profile with a cap of the lower medallion evidently alludes. The latter is certainly a portrait, conducted with a slightly caustic spirit, with the accentuation of facial features that characterize the style of the artist a bit in all the cards (and also is read in the transposition of the monetary model in terms of an accentuation that is almost caricature). Arthur Hind already in 1938 had seen the figure of the laureated emperor at the top of the medallion a possible allusion, se [end of p. 35] also in the slightly caricatured facial features, the Duke of Ferrara, Ercole 106. If we compare the profile with that of Ercole that have come down to us in medallions made by Baldassare d'Este in 1472 107 (removing his 15th century cap) we will be surprised to  find the same curves of the nose and the chin, as if the Este medalist had read the ducal profile through the filter of an Augustan model (Fig. 1.81).The use of numismatic models by the author of the pack, probably mediated by miniatures or bas-reliefs, is confirmed by our ability to recognize the profile of Emperor Tiberius in a silver coin 108 (Fig. 1.82), underlying that of Deiotarus (triumph VII; Fig. 1.84), one reproduced in gold of Claudius (a coin made at the end of the Republic; Fig. 1.83) 109 in the face of Caton (triumph XIII; figs. 1.25, 1.85), and the profile of Nero as well reproduced in a gold coin (Fig. 1.86) after the death of Seneca 110, in the man portrayed in the seven of swords (Fig. 1.87).

It is more difficult to get a precise proposal for the identification of the contemporary personage. The archaic character of the clothing might suggest a posthumous tribute to a great scholar and alchemist, who could then perhaps be seen, given the coincidence of facial features of an extant illuminated portrait  111 of the Paduan doctor Michele Savonarola 112, grandfather of the more famous Girolomo 113, after teaching a long time at the University of Padua, moved in 1450 to work at the court of Ferrara as the personal physician of Niccolo III d'Este (and after him of Leonello and Borso). A renowned researcher, devoted to alchemical research in an attempt to hone his medical science especially on the side of remedies against plague, came to distill the elixir of long life, aqua vitae in the etymological sense of the term, if not the elixir of immortality, then the remedies for many ailments.
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105 Martini 1990, pp. 248-249, Cat, 1 and here. cat. 9a. The derivation, in this as in the following cases, probably did not happen directly from the numismatic model, but through  graphic or sculptural mediation. I owe the identification of this and subsequent imperial profiles to the kindness of Rodolfo Martini, whom I want to sincerely thank.
106 Hind 1938.1, p. 242.
107 Hill 1967, p. 13 fig. 37; Hill 1984, p. 23 n. 100, p. 28; Johnson, Martini 1986, pp. Nos. 6-7, 24-26.
108 Martini 1990, I, pp. 158-159, Ti 11, pl. Cat. L and 9b here..
109 Martini 1990, pp. 360-363, CI 422, pl. CXXIII and cat. 9c here.
110 Martini 1990, pp. 458 to 459, I 280, pl. CLII and cat here. 9d.
111 See in Bologna Codex of 1450  Archiginnasio Library, Bologna, A, 125: see. Carbonelli 1925, p. 10 fig. 5.
112 Segarizzi 1900; Carbonelli 1925, pp. 10, 154-157; Samaritans 1976 pp. 1-95 (in particular bibl. Pp. 21-22 in footnote 46); Jacquart 1993, pp. 109-122; F. Tomolo, in LaMiniature Ferrara 1998, pp. 99-101 cat. 12; Pereira 2001, p. 171; Crisciani 2005, pp. 53-68; Crisciani, Zuccolin 2011. On the relationship between alchemy and medicine Crisciani, Pereira 1998, pp. 7-39; Pereira 2003a, pp. 77-108; Crisciani 2003, pp. 217-245.
113 Hind, 1938.1, p. 242, proposed the identification of the sitter sd Girolamo Savonarola, although aware of the problems of this hypothesis, even concerning the chronology.

I admire particularly here Gnaccolini's readiness to affirm a double signification of the portraits in the 2 of Coins, expressing both a union of the past with the present and also the commemoration of two friends. One explanation is often not enough.

This completes my discussion of Gnaccolini's essay. The other major essay in the exhibition catalog, written by Andrea Marchi, is devoted to the identification of the artist. Marchi's thesis, strongly endorsed by Gnoccolini and also by Sandra Bandera in her introduction (as opposed to Gnoccolini's ideas, which are more "hypotheses"), is that the Sola-Busca engravings were done by a painter called Nicola di maestro Antonio, in the port town of Ancona.. The essay reproduces many of the painter's works alongside cards that he says betray the same hand. I am not dealing with this essay, mostly because it would be a lot of work for me to summarize, and I am not sure that I am competent to do it justice. Also, I have nothing to say about it. It looks good to me.

I have left out many interesting ideas presented on both THF thread by "Huck" and "Phaeded", which I have mostly left out. And I have left out completely anything from a later thread on THF in which "Huck" presents an alternative interpretation of the SB triumph cards, http://forum.tarothistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1041. I encourage people to read this material.

The final post of this blog has to do with a completely different thesis about the Sola-Busca, that it was done for a different family on a different coast a hundred years later than usually supposed. The argument is one up to now presented only in Italian, first in a book, second in a summary of the book on the Associazione LeTarot website.

To continue reading, click on "older posts".