Arithmetic (from the Tarocchi, series C: Liberal Arts, #25)

1467

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Arithmetic (from the Tarocchi, series C: Liberal Arts, #25) is a 1467 by Master of the E-Series Tarocchi, a Renaissance work, depicting Ferrara, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Master of the E-Series Tarocchi
When & what style?: 1467 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This painting shows a woman surrounded by symbols of math and learning. She's sitting at a desk with books and instruments. The scene is detailed and intricate. The woman is meant to represent Arithmetic, one of the liberal arts. This was an important subject in the 15th century, when this painting was made. To learn more about this style of art, visit the museum where this painting is kept, The Cleveland Museum of Art.

The story of this work

Overview

This engraving is part of the group “C” named Liberal Arts. Conceptually, the liberal arts descended from classical antiquity, and were divided into the Trivium (Grammar, Rhetoric, and Dialectic or Logic) and the Quadrivium (Music, Geometry, Arithmetic, and Astronomy). In the Tarocchi set the total number was risen to ten, with the addition of the three disciplines (Poetry, Philosophy, and Theology). The liberal arts denoted knowledge or skills considered necessary to participate in a free society. By the late Middle Ages, they began to be represented in the visual arts as womanlike…

Read the full account in the museum source.