The Gringonneur Case
First recorded painter of Tarot cards
The Gringonneur
Case
Ross Gregory
Caldwell has researched in detail the Gringonneur entry from Paris 1392 and its
long being taken as the oldest reference to Tarot
cards:
Jacquemin
Gringonneur is an extremely obscure man. If a historian were to rely only on
what the few scholars who know about him consider trustworthy sources, the only
two things one could say about him would be that he was a painter who lived in
Paris at the turn of the 14th century, and he is recorded to have been paid for
painting three packs of cards for King Charles VI during his mental
breakdown.
However, there
is legend around him too, both concerning the apparently erroneous
identification of some large tarot cards once belonging to Roger de
Gaignières with the three packs of cards painted for Charles VI, as well
as his association with Nicolas Flamel in the artisan's quarter of early 15th
century Paris.
Below is an
annotated bibliography of the sources I have found that have contributed to, or
that shed light on, both the history and legend of Jacqemin Gringonneur.
If, with poetic license, I
were to try to conjure a vision of him for the reader, it would be of a painter,
illuminator or cartonnier from Flanders or somewhere else in the north of
France. He comes down as part of the movement of artists to the wealthy courts
of Charles V and VI, and the dukes of Burgundy and Berry. At the sumptously
decorated palace in Abbeville, which the King's uncle the Duke of Burgundy had
decorated and provided with every convenience for King Charles' recovery,
Gringonneur is asked to paint some packs of cards for him. These cards are
playing cards with allegorical scenes which reflect those on the tapestries
covering every wall – perhaps mythology, hunting, or the Passion of
Christ. Perhaps the cards were the cartons used to outline the designs on the
tapestries. Cards were not unusual in the court, and the King's brother Louis,
Duke of Orléans, was known to have a few packs of
them.
Gringonneur continued
his profession in the city of Paris for the first decade or so of the 15th
century, perhaps suffering after the loss of patronage in the wake of the noble
French losses at
Agincourt. As a
painter, he is associated the manuscript illuminator Nicolas Flamel and his
brother, as well as Christine de Pizan.
The information below is
divided into Primary and Secondary sources, Internet links and some suggestions
on the meaning of the name "gringonneur." It's annotated, so be sure to read the
comments!
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
If one
accepts the identification of Jean Gingonneur with Jaquemin Gringonneur, the
only contemporary primary source attesting to his life appears to be Guillebert
de Metz (or a contemporary), writing in « Description de la ville de Paris
sous Charles VI ». Charles Poupart's entry in the Chambre des Comptes for
1392, reported by Pére Menestrier in 1704, has not been found (Despite a
valiant search by Thierry
Depaulis).
Nevertheless,
judging by the entry itself and Menestrier's character in general, we may regard
his account of the Poupart entry as trustworthy, and therefore a primary source.
The five primary
sources below
appear to witness independent traditions about Gringonneur, even where not
contemporary with him.
PRIMARY SOURCES
–
1392
(?)
Charles Poupart, recording in
the register of the Chambre des Comptes "A Jaquemin Gringonneur, peintre, pour
trois jeux de cartes à or et à diverses couleurs, ornés de
plusieurs devises pour porter
devers ledit seigneur roi pour son ebattement : LVI sols parisis." -
(To Jaquemin Gringonneur,
painter, for three packs of cards in gold and in diverse colours, ornamented in
many divisions to be brought to the said lord King for his entertainment : 56
parisian sols).
- published
by Menestrier in 1704 (note that Depaulis (1995) thinks that "couleurs" refers
to pigmentation, colouring, while "devises" refers to modern French "couleurs",
English "suits." For "device" meaning a heraldic motto, he finds evidence only
from the 16th century forward).
1434 (?)
Guillebert de Metz _ Description
de la Ville de Paris sous Charles VI_ - first edited and published by Le Roux de
Lincy in 1855, this book names Jean Gingonneur in the quarter of "Writers,
Illuminators, Designers, Jongleurs, Booksellers, Minstrels, Paper-makers,
Painters, Binders".
1704
Menestrier,
P.Claude-François "Des Principes des sciences et des arts disposés
en forme de jeux" in _Bibliothèque Curieuse et instructive de divers
ouvrages, anciens et modernes, de littérature et des arts_ (Trevoux,
1704, vol. II, pp. 174-175) - this is the original and only source for the
famous quotation from the Chambre des Comptes of 1392
above.
1832
Béraud, A. et P.
Dufey _Dictionnaire historique de Paris_ (Paris : 1832) cited by Depaulis
in his 1995 article, this work presents a tradition that Gringonneur lived on
the "Rue de la Verrerie" with
other artisans. Depaulis believes it is this tradition that is taken up by
Jacques Hillairet in various works, cited
below.
1855
Lincy, Le Roux de _
Description de la Ville de Paris sous Charles VI_- first edition of this text,
see next entry.
1867
Lincy, Le Roux de and L.M.
Tisserand _Paris et ses historiens aux XIVe et XVe siècles_ (rpt. in "Le
Paris de Charles V et de Charles VI, vu par des écrivains contemporains"
p. 217)
- this book gives
Guillebert de Metz "Description de la Ville de Paris sous Charles VI", where, in
a list of the inhabitants of
various quarters listed by their profession, we find *Gingonneur (Jean) *,
listed in the same column with Nicolas Flamel and (Flamel) the Young (Jean,
Jacques and Jaquemin seem to have been more or less interchangable at this time,
I discovered) (I think the list is due to Lincy and Tisserand, extracting all
the names from G. de Metz and other contemporary
accounts).
1985
Hillairet, Jacques
_Dictionnaire historique des rues de Paris_ (7th ed., Paris : 1985 ; s.v.
`Verrerie, rue de la') – cited by Depaulis, art. cit. below.- asserts that
Gringonneur was a painter living at No.28, Rue de la Verrerie, where a
confraternity of glass painters and enamelers was installed.
---------------------------
SECONDARY SOURCES (direct or indirect mention of
Gringonneur)–
1754
Longuerue, Abbé Louis
du Four de _Longueruana, ou Recueil de pensées, de discours et de
conversations de feu M. Louis du Four de Longuerue_ (Berlin 1754) - in these
memoires, published posthumously (Longuerue died in 1733), he indirectly
connects the cards he saw during a visit to the home of Roger de
Gaignières, with the passage in Menestrier that he had read. Depaulis
thinks this may be the origin of the legend connecting the cards with
Gringonneur.
1842
Leber, M.C. "Etudes
historiques sur les cartes à jouer", in _Mémoires de la
Société des Antiquaires de France_ n.s. vol. 6 (1842) pp.
256-348
- Leber was the first to
explicitly suggest that Menestrier's
Gringonneur painted the 17
cards.
1845
- Biographie Universel s.v.
`Gringonneur', cites a M. Lenoir who attributed a painting of Juvenal des Ursins
to Gringonneur. This is the only attribution of any other work to Gringonneur,
on what basis I don't know, that I have found. The Biographie gives the source
as Lenoir's _Musée des monuments français_. I haven't been able to
trace it further, and it is never mentioned again. I have seen two portraits of
Juvenal des Ursins, who was a councilor to Charles VI and VII and wrote a
history of the former.
1846
Bache, Paul Eugène
_Jacquemin Gringonneur, ou l'invention des cartes à jouer_ (Blidah,
Tissot et Roche, 1846; Bibliothèque Nationale notice no. FRBNF32910723) -
I haven't seen this one, the BN has several
copies.
1855
Teste d'Ouet _Jacquemin
Gringonneur et Nicolas Flamel_ (Paris, V. Didron, 1855 ; BN notice no.
FRBNF36417369, inter alia) - haven't seen this one either, BN has several
copies.
1888
Mathers, S.L. Macgregor _The
Tarot, Its Occult Significance, Use in Fortune-Telling, and Method of Play,
Etc._ (London (?), George Redway, 1888). - While noting the error of the
attribution of the cards to Gringonneur, Mathers writes of him as "Jacques
Gringonneur, an Astrologer and Qabalist". I wonder if he had read Teste
d'Ouet?
1911
Waite, A.E. _The Pictorial
Key to the Tarot_ (London :1910) - mentions the account of Charles (!)
Gringonneur painting three packs of cards for Charles VI, but acknowledges that
no one any
longer attributes the
17 cards to Gringonneur.
1951
Hillairet, Jacques
_Evocation du vieux Paris _(tome 1, Paris: 1951) - writes that the Rue de la
Verrerie was home to a "communauté", or corporation on page 199. In his
1985 edition of the Dictionnaire (cited above) he places Gringonneur here
(according to Depaulis).
1995
Depaulis, Thierry "Jacquemin
Gringonneur et les cartes à jouer", in _L'As de Trefle_ no. 54 (March
1995) pp. 7-8. - describes his futile search for the original Poupart account in
the Chambre des Comptes for the years 1391-1394, as well as giving all the
primary documentation he could find about Gringonneur, including the Vieux Paris
references.
------------------------------
THE CARDS
The cards are
currently housed in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, in the
Département des Estampes et de la Photographie, Kh 24 rés. I don't
know if they are on
display.
Undated manuscript
B.N. Mss. Fr. 14888 (perhaps 1690s) - Roger de Gaignières; published in
facsimile and transcription by Thierry Depaulis in _Le Vieux Papier_ 301 (July
1986), pp. 117-124; a manuscript of four columns, listing the Trumps as they
appear in 1) a 16th century Italian poem, 2) de Gaignières' own "golden
cards" (the Charles VI or Gringonneur cards), 3) another Tarot pack
belonging to him (the Anonymous Parisian Tarot, illustrated for example in
Olsen, pp. 106-125), and 4) some trumps "in the book" (Depaulis suggests this
may be a book with rules for Tarot from
1654). The list of "golden
cards" corresponds exactly to the 17 "Gringonneur"
cards.
1698
Lister, Martin _A Journey to
Paris in the Year 1698 _ (pub. Information unknown). - Lister recounts a visit
to de Gaignières "One Toy I took notice of, which was a Collection of
Playing Cards for 300 Years. The oldest were three times bigger than what are
now used, extreamly
well limned
and illuminated with gilt Borders, and the Pastboard thick and firm; but there
was not a compleat Set of them" (quoted by Depaulis op. cit. p.
117)
1711
Clairambault, B.N. Mss.
Clairambault 1032 - Published again by Depaulis in Le Vieux Papier, this
manuscript by one of the executors of de Gaignières' estate simply
itemizes de Gaignières' effects, noting some "anciennes cartes
tarotées".
Jacquemin Gringonneur in tarot
history.
1754
Longuerue (see Secondary
Sources above)
1842
Leber (see Secondary Sources
above)
1848
W. A. Chatto _Facts and
Speculations on the Origins and History of Playing Cards._ (London, 1848). -
debunks the idea that Gringonneur painted the cards, and suggests a Venetian
origin (cited by Waite (?) and
Dummett).
1869
Merlin, R., _L'Origine des
cartes à jouer : Recherches nouvelles sur les Naibis, les tarots et sur
les autres espèces de cartes_ (Paris: 1869) - also debunks the connection
of Gringonneur with the cards (cited by
Dummett).
1906
D'Allemagne, Henry
René _Les Cartes à jouer du XIVe au XXe siècle_
(Paris: 1906) - first publication of the cards themselves (I think) ; attributes
the cards to Venice (cited by all later
authorities)
1937
Schrieber, W.L. _Die
ältesten Spielkarten_ (Strasbourg, 1937) - first to suggest Ferrara for the
origin of the cards.
1967
Klein, Robert "Les Tarots
enluminés du XVe siècle" in _L'Oeil_ 145 (January, 1967) -
considers the Charles VI cards as coming from Italy mainly because of the
clothing and xylographic
method.
1978
Kaplan, Stuart _The
Encyclopedia of Tarot_ (New York, 1978 pp. 111- 116) - gives the cards in b/w
with a good brief
discussion
1980
Dummett, Michael _The Game
of Tarot_ (London : Duckworth 1980 pp.65-66, 69, 395) -recapitulates the
consensus to 1980, provides good
bibliography.
1984
Depaulis, Thierry ed. _Tarot
; Jeu et Magie_ (Paris : Bibliothèque Nationale, 1984 pp.
40-41)
- excellent discussion,
followed by the results of an examination of the cards by the Laboratoire de
Recherche des Musées de France, by J.P.
Rioux
1986
Depaulis, Thierry "Roger de
Gaignières et ses tarots" in _Le Vieux Papier_ 301 (July 1986 pp.
117-124, with an addendum 160 describing his discovery of the reference in
Longuerue's memoires)
- this
article presents Depaulis' discovery of de Gaignières' own manuscript,
the sole place so far known where he mentions the
cards.
1987
Algeri, Giuliana, "Tarocchi
di Carlo VI" in Berti, Giordano and Andrea Vitali, eds. _Le Carte di Corte : I
Tarocchi : Gioco e Magia alla Corte degli Estensi_ (Ferrara : Nuova Alfa
Editoriale, 1987
pp.34-35 and
passim) - perhaps the best discussion to date on the cards and their symbolism.
It is not clear who wrote the article on the cards, or the other catalogue
descriptions, but since it is appended to her essay I assume it is her. She
attributes them to 1470-1480, based on the preceding authorities.
1995
Olsen, Christina _The Art of
Tarot_ (New York :Abbeville, 1995 pp.19-20, 70-85) - Olsen gives good colour
reproductions of all of the surviving cards except for the Fante (the Page or
Jack of
Swords).
The
Gringonneur Case
Ross
Gregory Caldwell has researched in detail the Gringonneur entry from Paris 1392
and its long being taken as the oldest reference to
Tarotcards:
Jacquemin
Gringonneur is an extremely obscure man. If a historian were to rely only on
what the few scholars who know about him consider trustworthy sources, the only
two things one could say about him would be that he was a painter who lived in
Paris at the turn of the 14th century, and he is recorded to have been paid for
painting three packs of cards for King Charles VI during his mental
breakdown.
However, there
is legend around him too, both concerning the apparently erroneous
identification of some large tarot cards once belonging to Roger de
Gaignières with the three packs of cards painted for Charles VI, as well
as his association with Nicolas Flamel in the artisan's quarter of early 15th
century Paris.
Below is an
annotated bibliography of the sources I have found that have contributed to, or
that shed light on, both the history and legend of Jacqemin Gringonneur.
If, with poetic license, I
were to try to conjure a vision of him for the reader, it would be of a painter,
illuminator or cartonnier from Flanders or somewhere else in the north of
France. He comes down as part of the movement of artists to the wealthy courts
of Charles V and VI, and the dukes of Burgundy and Berry. At the sumptously
decorated palace in Abbeville, which the King's uncle the Duke of Burgundy had
decorated and provided with every convenience for King Charles' recovery,
Gringonneur is asked to paint some packs of cards for him. These cards are
playing cards with allegorical scenes which reflect those on the tapestries
covering every wall – perhaps mythology, hunting, or the Passion of
Christ. Perhaps the cards were the cartons used to outline the designs on the
tapestries. Cards were not unusual in the court, and the King's brother Louis,
Duke of Orléans, was known to have a few packs of
them.
Gringonneur continued
his profession in the city of Paris for the first decade or so of the 15th
century, perhaps suffering after the loss of patronage in the wake of the noble
French losses at
Agincourt. As a
painter, he is associated the manuscript illuminator Nicolas Flamel and his
brother, as well as Christine de Pizan.
The information below is
divided into Primary and Secondary sources, Internet links and some suggestions
on the meaning of the name "gringonneur." It's annotated, so be sure to read the
comments!
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
If one
accepts the identification of Jean Gingonneur with Jaquemin Gringonneur, the
only contemporary primary source attesting to his life appears to be Guillebert
de Metz (or a contemporary), writing in « Description de la ville de Paris
sous Charles VI ». Charles Poupart's entry in the Chambre des Comptes for
1392, reported by Pére Menestrier in 1704, has not been found (Despite a
valiant search by Thierry
Depaulis).
Nevertheless,
judging by the entry itself and Menestrier's character in general, we may regard
his account of the Poupart entry as trustworthy, and therefore a primary source.
The five primary
sources below
appear to witness independent traditions about Gringonneur, even where not
contemporary with him.
PRIMARY SOURCES
–
1392
(?)
Charles Poupart, recording in
the register of the Chambre des Comptes "A Jaquemin Gringonneur, peintre, pour
trois jeux de cartes à or et à diverses couleurs, ornés de
plusieurs devises pour porter
devers ledit seigneur roi pour son ebattement : LVI sols parisis." -
(To Jaquemin Gringonneur,
painter, for three packs of cards in gold and in diverse colours, ornamented in
many divisions to be brought to the said lord King for his entertainment : 56
parisian sols).
- published
by Menestrier in 1704 (note that Depaulis (1995) thinks that "couleurs" refers
to pigmentation, colouring, while "devises" refers to modern French "couleurs",
English "suits." For "device" meaning a heraldic motto, he finds evidence only
from the 16th century forward).
1434 (?)
Guillebert de Metz _ Description
de la Ville de Paris sous Charles VI_ - first edited and published by Le Roux de
Lincy in 1855, this book names Jean Gingonneur in the quarter of "Writers,
Illuminators, Designers, Jongleurs, Booksellers, Minstrels, Paper-makers,
Painters, Binders".
1704
Menestrier,
P.Claude-François "Des Principes des sciences et des arts disposés
en forme de jeux" in _Bibliothèque Curieuse et instructive de divers
ouvrages, anciens et modernes, de littérature et des arts_ (Trevoux,
1704, vol. II, pp. 174-175) - this is the original and only source for the
famous quotation from the Chambre des Comptes of 1392
above.
1832
Béraud, A. et P.
Dufey _Dictionnaire historique de Paris_ (Paris : 1832) cited by Depaulis
in his 1995 article, this work presents a tradition that Gringonneur lived on
the "Rue de la Verrerie" with
other artisans. Depaulis believes it is this tradition that is taken up by
Jacques Hillairet in various works, cited
below.
1855
Lincy, Le Roux de _
Description de la Ville de Paris sous Charles VI_- first edition of this text,
see next entry.
1867
Lincy, Le Roux de and L.M.
Tisserand _Paris et ses historiens aux XIVe et XVe siècles_ (rpt. in "Le
Paris de Charles V et de Charles VI, vu par des écrivains contemporains"
p. 217)
- this book gives
Guillebert de Metz "Description de la Ville de Paris sous Charles VI", where, in
a list of the inhabitants of
various quarters listed by their profession, we find *Gingonneur (Jean) *,
listed in the same column with Nicolas Flamel and (Flamel) the Young (Jean,
Jacques and Jaquemin seem to have been more or less interchangable at this time,
I discovered) (I think the list is due to Lincy and Tisserand, extracting all
the names from G. de Metz and other contemporary
accounts).
1985
Hillairet, Jacques
_Dictionnaire historique des rues de Paris_ (7th ed., Paris : 1985 ; s.v.
`Verrerie, rue de la') – cited by Depaulis, art. cit. below.- asserts that
Gringonneur was a painter living at No.28, Rue de la Verrerie, where a
confraternity of glass painters and enamelers was installed.
---------------------------
SECONDARY SOURCES (direct or indirect mention of
Gringonneur)–
1754
Longuerue, Abbé Louis
du Four de _Longueruana, ou Recueil de pensées, de discours et de
conversations de feu M. Louis du Four de Longuerue_ (Berlin 1754) - in these
memoires, published posthumously (Longuerue died in 1733), he indirectly
connects the cards he saw during a visit to the home of Roger de
Gaignières, with the passage in Menestrier that he had read. Depaulis
thinks this may be the origin of the legend connecting the cards with
Gringonneur.
1842
Leber, M.C. "Etudes
historiques sur les cartes à jouer", in _Mémoires de la
Société des Antiquaires de France_ n.s. vol. 6 (1842) pp.
256-348
- Leber was the first to
explicitly suggest that Menestrier's
Gringonneur painted the 17
cards.
1845
- Biographie Universel s.v.
`Gringonneur', cites a M. Lenoir who attributed a painting of Juvenal des Ursins
to Gringonneur. This is the only attribution of any other work to Gringonneur,
on what basis I don't know, that I have found. The Biographie gives the source
as Lenoir's _Musée des monuments français_. I haven't been able to
trace it further, and it is never mentioned again. I have seen two portraits of
Juvenal des Ursins, who was a councilor to Charles VI and VII and wrote a
history of the former.
1846
Bache, Paul Eugène
_Jacquemin Gringonneur, ou l'invention des cartes à jouer_ (Blidah,
Tissot et Roche, 1846; Bibliothèque Nationale notice no. FRBNF32910723) -
I haven't seen this one, the BN has several
copies.
1855
Teste d'Ouet _Jacquemin
Gringonneur et Nicolas Flamel_ (Paris, V. Didron, 1855 ; BN notice no.
FRBNF36417369, inter alia) - haven't seen this one either, BN has several
copies.
1888
Mathers, S.L. Macgregor _The
Tarot, Its Occult Significance, Use in Fortune-Telling, and Method of Play,
Etc._ (London (?), George Redway, 1888). - While noting the error of the
attribution of the cards to Gringonneur, Mathers writes of him as "Jacques
Gringonneur, an Astrologer and Qabalist". I wonder if he had read Teste
d'Ouet?
1911
Waite, A.E. _The Pictorial
Key to the Tarot_ (London :1910) - mentions the account of Charles (!)
Gringonneur painting three packs of cards for Charles VI, but acknowledges that
no one any
longer attributes the
17 cards to Gringonneur.
1951
Hillairet, Jacques
_Evocation du vieux Paris _(tome 1, Paris: 1951) - writes that the Rue de la
Verrerie was home to a "communauté", or corporation on page 199. In his
1985 edition of the Dictionnaire (cited above) he places Gringonneur here
(according to Depaulis).
1995
Depaulis, Thierry "Jacquemin
Gringonneur et les cartes à jouer", in _L'As de Trefle_ no. 54 (March
1995) pp. 7-8. - describes his futile search for the original Poupart account in
the Chambre des Comptes for the years 1391-1394, as well as giving all the
primary documentation he could find about Gringonneur, including the Vieux Paris
references.
------------------------------
THE CARDS
The cards are
currently housed in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, in the
Département des Estampes et de la Photographie, Kh 24 rés. I don't
know if they are on
display.
Undated manuscript
B.N. Mss. Fr. 14888 (perhaps 1690s) - Roger de Gaignières; published in
facsimile and transcription by Thierry Depaulis in _Le Vieux Papier_ 301 (July
1986), pp. 117-124; a manuscript of four columns, listing the Trumps as they
appear in 1) a 16th century Italian poem, 2) de Gaignières' own "golden
cards" (the Charles VI or Gringonneur cards), 3) another Tarot pack
belonging to him (the Anonymous Parisian Tarot, illustrated for example in
Olsen, pp. 106-125), and 4) some trumps "in the book" (Depaulis suggests this
may be a book with rules for Tarot from
1654). The list of "golden
cards" corresponds exactly to the 17 "Gringonneur"
cards.
1698
Lister, Martin _A Journey to
Paris in the Year 1698 _ (pub. Information unknown). - Lister recounts a visit
to de Gaignières "One Toy I took notice of, which was a Collection of
Playing Cards for 300 Years. The oldest were three times bigger than what are
now used, extreamly
well limned
and illuminated with gilt Borders, and the Pastboard thick and firm; but there
was not a compleat Set of them" (quoted by Depaulis op. cit. p.
117)
1711
Clairambault, B.N. Mss.
Clairambault 1032 - Published again by Depaulis in Le Vieux Papier, this
manuscript by one of the executors of de Gaignières' estate simply
itemizes de Gaignières' effects, noting some "anciennes cartes
tarotées".
Jacquemin Gringonneur in tarot
history.
1754
Longuerue (see Secondary
Sources above)
1842
Leber (see Secondary Sources
above)
1848
W. A. Chatto _Facts and
Speculations on the Origins and History of Playing Cards._ (London, 1848). -
debunks the idea that Gringonneur painted the cards, and suggests a Venetian
origin (cited by Waite (?) and
Dummett).
1869
Merlin, R., _L'Origine des
cartes à jouer : Recherches nouvelles sur les Naibis, les tarots et sur
les autres espèces de cartes_ (Paris: 1869) - also debunks the connection
of Gringonneur with the cards (cited by
Dummett).
1906
D'Allemagne, Henry
René _Les Cartes à jouer du XIVe au XXe siècle_
(Paris: 1906) - first publication of the cards themselves (I think) ; attributes
the cards to Venice (cited by all later
authorities)
1937
Schrieber, W.L. _Die
ältesten Spielkarten_ (Strasbourg, 1937) - first to suggest Ferrara for the
origin of the cards.
1967
Klein, Robert "Les Tarots
enluminés du XVe siècle" in _L'Oeil_ 145 (January, 1967) -
considers the Charles VI cards as coming from Italy mainly because of the
clothing and xylographic
method.
1978
Kaplan, Stuart _The
Encyclopedia of Tarot_ (New York, 1978 pp. 111- 116) - gives the cards in b/w
with a good brief
discussion
1980
Dummett, Michael _The Game
of Tarot_ (London : Duckworth 1980 pp.65-66, 69, 395) -recapitulates the
consensus to 1980, provides good
bibliography.
1984
Depaulis, Thierry ed. _Tarot
; Jeu et Magie_ (Paris : Bibliothèque Nationale, 1984 pp.
40-41)
- excellent discussion,
followed by the results of an examination of the cards by the Laboratoire de
Recherche des Musées de France, by J.P.
Rioux
1986
Depaulis, Thierry "Roger de
Gaignières et ses tarots" in _Le Vieux Papier_ 301 (July 1986 pp.
117-124, with an addendum 160 describing his discovery of the reference in
Longuerue's memoires)
- this
article presents Depaulis' discovery of de Gaignières' own manuscript,
the sole place so far known where he mentions the
cards.
1987
Algeri, Giuliana, "Tarocchi
di Carlo VI" in Berti, Giordano and Andrea Vitali, eds. _Le Carte di Corte : I
Tarocchi : Gioco e Magia alla Corte degli Estensi_ (Ferrara : Nuova Alfa
Editoriale, 1987
pp.34-35 and
passim) - perhaps the best discussion to date on the cards and their symbolism.
It is not clear who wrote the article on the cards, or the other catalogue
descriptions, but since it is appended to her essay I assume it is her. She
attributes them to 1470-1480, based on the preceding authorities.
1995
Olsen, Christina _The Art of
Tarot_ (New York :Abbeville, 1995 pp.19-20, 70-85) - Olsen gives good colour
reproductions of all of the surviving cards except for the Fante (the Page or
Jack of Swords).
From:
Origin of Tarot
http://www.trionfi.com/01/e/r70/15.html
Posted: Sun - April 25, 2004 at 02:54 PM