Artwork
Primo Mobile (Prime Mover)
Primo Mobile (Prime Mover) is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Master of the E-Series Tarocchi. It dates from 1465 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1465, Primo Mobile (Prime Mover) is an engraving executed by the anonymous artist known as the Master of the E‑Series Tarocchi. Executed on paper with traces of gilding, the print presents a solitary female figure whose posture and attributes suggest an allegorical function within the intellectual currents of the early Renaissance.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a woman clothed in a flowing robe, her hair gathered in a ponytail, and she bears large, feathered wings that extend from her back.
The central figure is a woman clothed in a flowing robe, her hair gathered in a ponytail, and she bears large, feathered wings that extend from her back. She holds a smooth, unadorned circle in both hands and stands barefoot upon a curved line, her gaze directed upward. The composition evokes themes of celestial motion and philosophical principles, the circle symbolizing perfection or the heavens while the wings imply transcendence.
Technique & Style
The work is rendered through line engraving, a method that allows fine detail in the folds of the garment, the feathered texture of the wings, and the subtle modeling of the figure’s face. Limited gilding highlights select areas, adding a faint metallic sheen that accentuates the circle and certain decorative elements. The overall style reflects the Renaissance interest in naturalistic anatomy and precise, measured drawing.
History & Provenance
Attributed to the Master of the E‑Series Tarocchi, an artist associated with a series of tarot‑like cards produced in mid‑15th‑century Italy, the print belongs to a body of work that circulated among humanist circles. Its date, circa 1465, places it within the early phase of the Italian Renaissance, a period when printmaking began to disseminate scholarly and symbolic imagery beyond manuscript illumination.
Artist & collection
Artist
Master of the E-Series Tarocchi
Master of the E-Series Tarocchi (b. 1400) was an Italian artist.
