Who painted Geometry (from the Tarocchi, series C: Liberal Arts, #24)?

Geometry (from the Tarocchi, series C: Liberal Arts, #24) was painted by Master of the E-Series Tarocchi in 1467.

Where can I see Geometry (from the Tarocchi, series C: Liberal Arts, #24)?

Geometry (from the Tarocchi, series C: Liberal Arts, #24) is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Geometry (from the Tarocchi, series C: Liberal Arts, #24)?

Geometry (from the Tarocchi, series C: Liberal Arts, #24) is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

Geometry (from the Tarocchi, series C: Liberal Arts, #24)

Master of the E-Series Tarocchi , 1467

Geometry (from the Tarocchi, series C: Liberal Arts, #24) is a print by the Renaissance artist Master of the E-Series Tarocchi. It dates from 1467 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The print belongs to the “C” series of the Tarocchi cards, which illustrate the liberal arts.

About this work

Overview

The print belongs to the “C” series of the Tarocchi cards, which illustrate the liberal arts. In this group, each discipline is rendered as an allegorical figure; the image in question represents Geometry. The work is an engraving, executed on paper, and is catalogued as number 24 within the series.

Subject & Meaning

Geometry appears as a half‑length female figure, shown in profile and appearing pregnant, a visual cue linking the discipline to creation and order. She hovers amid clouds over an imagined landscape, gesturing with her right hand to trace a square, triangle and circle in the sky, symbols of the basic geometric forms.

Technique & Style

The image is produced by engraving, a printmaking method that involves incising lines into a metal plate and then transferring the design onto paper. The composition combines a figure in the foreground with a stylised aerial space, using fine line work to suggest both the figure’s delicate features and the ethereal clouds.

Context

The liberal arts, inherited from classical antiquity, were divided into the Trivium and Quadrivium. By the late medieval period, these subjects were frequently personified as women in visual culture. The Tarocchi set expands the traditional seven arts to ten, adding Poetry, Philosophy and Theology, reflecting contemporary educational ideals.

History & Provenance

The engraving is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection. An original identifying letter in the lower left corner was altered by the engraver from an “E” to a “C,” indicating a correction in the series designation.