22 Pittori in 22 Arcani

The 22 Italian artists who contributed to this collaborative effort were given a free hand to interpret the subject matter as they wished. They include Piero Alligo, Domenico Balbi, Giorgio Tavaglione and Osvaldo Menegazzi. The results are disparate though for the most part very colourful. Some of the interpretations are quite traditional, others much less so. Each artist’s name appears discreetly at the foot of each work. The oversized cards have bold titles in Italian, square corners and plain olive-green backs. The names of all the artists are listed on the cover . This was a numbered edition of 2,000 packs, of which 36 were signed by the 22 artists.

Above: ‘22 Pittori in 22 Arcani’ collaborative tarot deck published by Ed. Il Meneghello, Milan, Italy, 1989. 22 oversized cards + 1 title card + leaflet in book-type cover tied with black ribbon, + 16-page booklet in Italian. Size: 75 x 157 mm.

• See excerpts from the booklet

Translation of the introduction to the booklet by Osvaldo Menegazzi, who founded Edizioni Il Meneghello in 1974:

“Tarot cards have always combined two important elements of our cultural heritage: the ability to project reality into the future and the high artistic value of their symbols. It is enough to recall the famous tarot cards of the Este family, those of the Sforza family, created by great masters of the 15th and 16th centuries, and then the Napoleonic ones up to the Art Nouveau tarot cards painted in Paris at the beginning of the century. All of them have now become important artistic and cultural testimonies of our history.

The most important collections are those of the Rothschilds, those preserved at the National Library of Paris, and in the museums of Ferrara and Florence. We can thus say that every era has been characterized by its own tarot cards, interpreted by artists who have imbued the twenty-two Major Arcana with their culture and a testimony of their historical moment.

That is why, by taking up this important tradition, I thought of asking twenty-two painter friends (some already established, others less known but certainly of great talent) to continue this ancient experience. The result is this wonderful collection, unique and unrepeatable, which I decided to print in a limited and numbered edition of 2,000 decks.

But I could not have realized this project in the best way without the decisive contribution of the gallery ‘Il Torchio’ of Porta Romana in Milan, and its owner, Mr Marco Landi, to whom I extend my warmest thanks.”

• Il Meneghello Edizioni►