The Emperor (from the Tarocchi, series E: Conditions of Man, #9)

1467

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Allegory Ferrara

Dominant colour

The Emperor (from the Tarocchi, series E: Conditions of Man, #9) 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

The Emperor is a full-length crowned male figure, seated crossed-legged on his throne. He's turned to the left, looking straight ahead. This work is part of a series showing social hierarchy. The series has ten characters, from a beggar to the pope. The emperor is near the top of this order. The Cleveland Museum of Art has this engraving, and it's worth learning more about the museum.

The story of this work

Overview

This engraving is part of the Tarocchi group marked with the letter “E,” and named Conditions of Man . This series outlines the social and hierarchical order of ten characters (Beggar, Servant, Artisan, Merchant, Gentleman, Knight, Doge King, Emperor, and Pope), starting from the lower grade and ending with the most important one. Here, Imperator (The Emperor) is shown as a full-length crowned male figure, turned to the left. The ruler is seated crossed-legged on his throne. He holds a globe in his right hand, while an eagle rests at his feet.

Read the full account in the museum source.