The History of Tarot Art by Holly Adams Easley; Esther Joy Archer

 
The History of Tarot Art by Holly Adams Easley; Esther Joy Archer
My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from the Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had been wondering how far back in history Tarot went along with what it originally looked like, but I hadn’t done the research to find the answers to my questions. Then I saw this book and knew I had to read it. If you’re a Tarot reader, be aware that you may come out of this book with some new decks sitting on your wishlist. I know I did!

In this book, you will find yourself learning about some of the most influential Tarot decks along with what is known about the creators, why the decks were made, and what inspired them. I found each of these chapters very interesting to read. If I still had my old art professor’s email, I would recommend this book if not gifting it to her because I think she’d love it. It’s also a perfect example of something she always taught: the era and context of a work’s creation is an important piece of learning about said work. I’m now looking at two decks differently after seeing the artwork from an older surviving deck. It certainly adds extra dimension and depth!

It was also interesting to learn how Tarot was once a card game back in the fifteenth century. I wonder how those who were playing that game back in the day would feel if they knew the journey it would eventually take. It was also interesting to see the surviving cards of decks from that time, especially when seeing them compared to one of the most popular decks. One of the most interesting things to see is how the styles changed over time and how decks started being created 

Now, this book only includes information that was verified. I like this because false information won’t be spread, even unintentionally. However, there is a section that covers some fake lore while specifying that the information at hand was false, who spread it, and why because it is an important piece of Tarot history. When this section comes up, it’s very clearly stated that the information spread by that person was completely false along with what their intentions were and why it was believed at the time.

All in all, this is a wonderful book. I highly recommend it even if you have zero interest in Tarot but have an interest in art and art history.