The Warburg Institute

🌟 Temperance – A Card of Balance, Harmony, and Moderation 🌟

This week, we’re sharing Temperance from the Tarot de Marseille Gassmann deck (c.1865). Known for its rich symbolism, this card oftenrepresents balance, moderation, and the integration of opposites. It speaks to the power of harmony, the importance of measured actions, and the delicate equilibrium that sustains personal growth and transformation.

In the Tarot de Marseille tradition, Temperance is depicted as an angel pouring liquid from one chalice to another, symbolising the mixing of elements to create a harmonious outcome. The card encourages us to approach life with patience, balance, and a thoughtful approach to decisions.

✨ It’s the last few days to view this beautiful card in person, as 'Tarot – Origins & Afterlives' is closing soon.

📍 Warburg Institute
📅 On until 30 April 2025 - catch it while you can!
🎟️ Book your free tickets: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/tarot-origins-and-afterlives-2025

Image: The Temperance card from the Tarot de Marseille Gassmann deck (c.1865). Private Collection.

🐉 Happy St George's Day!

The Warburg Library is the perfect place to trace the fascinating history and imagery of St George and the dragon.

Begin your journey through ancient myths on the third floor, discover twentieth-century retellings in children's books on the second floor, and explore iconic Renaissance interpretations by artists like Raphael, Dürer, and Donatello on the first floor.

Images:

Durer: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, public domain
Raphael, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC
A selection of books available at BFC Rites and Cults in Western Religions

Join us for a special late opening of Tarot – Origins & Afterlives!

Explore the exhibition after hours and enjoy a tarot reading with Mark Pilkington, using Suzanne Treister’s HEXEN 2.0 deck.

Thursday 24 April, 6-8pm

Tarot Late with card readings by Mark Pilkington Visit the exhibition Tarot – Origins & Afterlives after hours and stay to watch tarot readings with participating artist Mark Pilkington. Please note that readings are on a first come, first served basis, and will last approximately 15 minutes each. Please arrive early to avoid any disappointment....

💀 Death – A Card of Transformation 💀

This Easter weekend, we’re sharing the Death card from Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot (painted by Frieda Harris). A symbol of change and new beginnings, it’s about transformation and rebirth.

✨ View it at 'Tarot – Origins & Afterlives' at the Warburg Institute until 30 April 2025.

🎟️ Book your free tickets: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/tarot-origins-and-afterlives-2025

“I think most visitors assume that tarot has always been associated with fortune telling and magic, and will no doubt be surprised to learn that this has only been true for less than half of its long history.”

As our exhibition 'Tarot – Origins & Afterlives' enters its final weeks, we spoke to Warburg Institute Director and co-curator Bill Sherman about how the exhibition came to life, one of his favourite pieces on display, and what the show reveals about the enduring appeal of tarot.

Read the full interview: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/blog/tarot-origins-afterlives-a-conversation-director-and-co-curator-bill-sherman

🔮 'Tarot – Origins & Afterlives' is on view until 30 April 2025
Book your free ticket: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/tarot-origins-and-afterlives-2025

Image: The Tarot, in the form of leaves of the book of Thoth placed in the temple of Fire at Memphis, Egypt, J.B. Alliette (Etteilla), c.1780s. Mixed media. © Wellcome Collection. Photo: Stephen Wright & Co.

⚔️ Four of Swords – A Card of Rest and Reflection ⚔️

This week, we’re sharing the Four of Swords from the Visconti-Sforza Tarot. In modern interpretations, this card symbolises a time for rest, reflection, and recuperation. It encourages us to pause, gather strength, and recharge before continuing our journey.

The Visconti-Sforza Tarot, one of the oldest surviving tarot card collections, was created in the mid-15th century for Milanese elites. These cards, rich in late-Gothic miniature art, reflect the cultural refinement of the period, with the Visconti family’s motto, ‘a bon droyt’ (by legitimate right), featured on this card.

✨ You can view this historic card as part of 'Tarot – Origins & Afterlives', now on display at the Warburg Institute.

📍 Warburg Institute
📅 On until 30 April 2025
🎟️ Book your free tickets: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/tarot-origins-and-afterlives-2025

Image: The Four of Swords card from Visconti-Sforza Tarot (c. late 15th century). Private collection.

This summer, discover the creativity and innovation of artists’ books at the Warburg!

Art & the Book, with Biblioteka and The Everyday Press, will showcase contemporary publishing through an exhibition, art book fair, talks and bookshop residencies.

Learn more: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/news/art-book-celebrating-artists-book

Art & the Book: Celebrating Artists’ Books and Independent Publishing at the Warburg Institute This summer, discover the creativity and innovation of artists’ books at the Warburg Institute. In partnership with Biblioteka and The Everyday Press, Art & the Book (16 May – 2 August) offers a dynamic exploration of contemporary publishing through an exhibition, a major art book fair, insig...

🕊 Today, 6 April, we honour Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio), one of the great masters of the Italian Renaissance, who died on this day in 1520.

This early 16th-century drawing, attributed to him, shows a reclining Venus on a cloud, surrounded by putti. Lacking her usual symbols, she appears serene, vulnerable, and beautifully human — a testament to Raphael’s graceful approach to mythological subjects.

Explore more in our Iconographic Database: https://iconographic.warburg.sas.ac.uk/home

Image: Venus Reclining, attributed to Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio), early 16th century. Chatsworth House, inv. 53.

🃏 The Fool – A Card of New Beginnings 🃏

In celebration of April Fool's Day, we’re sharing The Fool card from the Tarot de Marseille Gassmann deck (c.1865). Often symbolising adventure and new beginnings, The Fool encourages us to embrace the unknown and take that leap of faith.

✨ See this card and others in 'Tarot – Origins & Afterlives' now on display at the Warburg Institute.

📍 Warburg Institute
📅 On until 30 April 2025
🎟️ Book your free tickets: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/tarot-origins-and-afterlives-2025

Image: The Fool card from the Tarot de Marseille Gassmann tarot deck (c.1865)

We're thrilled to share that Rita Copeland, a long-time Warburg Reader and scholar, has been awarded the Haskins Medal by the The Medieval Academy of America for her book 'Emotion and the History of Rhetoric in the Middle Ages'.

Warburg Reader Rita Copeland Wins Haskins Medal for Book on Emotion and Rhetoric The Warburg Institute is thrilled to share that Rita Copeland, a long-time Warburg Reader and scholar who has conducted extensive research at the Institute, has been awarded the Haskins Medal by the Medieval Academy of America for her book Emotion and the History of Rhetoric in the Middle Ages (Oxfo...

🌎 The World – A Card of Completion and Achievement 🌎

The World card from the Tarocchino Mitelli deck (c.1660). In this rare Baroque-style deck, Atlas holds the Earth, symbolising wholeness, accomplishment, and the fulfilment of a journey.

✨ See this card and more as part of 'Tarot – Origins & Afterlives' at the Warburg Institute.

📍 Warburg Institute
📅 On until 30 April 2025
🎟️ Book your free tickets: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/tarot-origins-and-afterlives-2025

Image: The World card from the Tarocchino Mitelli. Giuseppe Maria Mitelli (c.1660). Private Collection.

Free Online Talk - 'Game of Thrones: Early Modern Playing Cards and Portrait Miniature Painting'

Join Karin Leonhard (Konstanz University) for this free online talk and learn how playing cards were transformed into portrait miniatures in Tudor England.

📅 April 1, 2025
⏰ 5:30-7:00pm
🎟️ FREE with booking

Book here: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/a-material-world-karin-leonhard-2025



Image: “Queen of Stags”, from the earliest known deck of cards, the, “Stuttgart Playing Cards”, circa 1430, 19.1 × 12.1 cm. Landesmuseum Württemberg, Stuttgart. Digital image courtesy of Landesmuseum Württemberg, Stuttgart (CC BY).

Missed our Renaissance Lives event on Robert Hooke?

Watch Felicity Henderson & John Tresch discuss England’s first professional scientist—an innovator, observer & science communicator.

🎥 Watch now: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/podcasts/renaissance-lives-robert-hookes-experimental-philosophy

Renaissance Lives | Robert Hooke’s Experimental Philosophy Robert Hooke was England’s first professional scientist and a pioneer of science communication. He was also one of the earliest to write a guide for how others might become “experimental philosophers” like himself. In this new biography, Felicity Henderson takes Hooke’s scientific method as ...

Have you visited 'Tarot – Origins & Afterlives' yet?

Explore tarot’s fascinating journey - from a Renaissance card game to a tool for divination, artistic creation, and countercultural expression. See rare historic decks and discover how artists, writers, and mystics have reshaped tarot over the centuries.

📅 On view at the Warburg Institute until 30 April 2025
🎟 Free entry with timed tickets

Find out more: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/tarot-origins-and-afterlives-2025

Image: Austin Osman Spare tarot deck (c.1906). Courtesy The Magic Circle Collection. Photo by Stephen White & Co

Online Short Course - Advanced Readings in Renaissance Italian: Travel and Geographical Knowledge

Join us for a five-week online course exploring Renaissance Italian texts on travel and geography. Led by Dr Matthew Coneys, this course is designed for those with experience reading Renaissance Italian who want to engage with more challenging historical sources.

Through travel accounts, private letters, verse compositions, and archival documents, participants will refine their reading skills, develop strategies for tackling unfamiliar linguistic features, and explore how different authors depicted the world around them.

📅 30 April – 28 May 2025 (Wednesdays, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm BST)
🖥️ Online via Zoom

Register here: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/advanced-readings-renaissance-italian-2025



Image: "La Nuoua Francia (2674844435)" by https://buff.ly/40Sb4nn is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

☀️ The Sun – A Card of Illumination, Knowledge, and Revelation ☀️

As the sun shines this week, we’re sharing The Sun card, a symbol of clarity, optimism, and enlightenment. Traditionally, this card represents illumination - both literal and metaphorical - bringing warmth, understanding, and new perspectives.

This version comes from Suzanne Treister’s HEXEN 2.0 (2009–11), a tarot deck that explores the histories of cybernetics, mass control, and countercultural movements.

✨ See Treister’s HEXEN 2.0 and HEXEN 5.0 tarot designs in 'Tarot – Origins & Afterlives', now open at the Warburg Institute.

📍 On until 30 April 2025

Book your free ticket: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/tarot-origins-and-afterlives-2025

Image: Suzanne Treister, ‘Sun’ card from HEXEN 2.0 (2009–11). Courtesy of the artist.

Join us for The Renaissance at Home, a five-week online course exploring domestic life in Renaissance Italy. Led by art historian Dr Lydia Goodson, this course delves into the art, objects and architecture that shaped the spaces of early modern homes—from bedrooms and kitchens to the famed studiolo.

📅 Tuesdays, 13 May – 10 June 2025
⏰ 2:00–3:30pm (BST)
💻 Online via Zoom

Through lectures, discussions and close analysis of paintings, furnishings and historical texts, this course offers a unique insight into how Renaissance households reflected the aspirations and values of their time. Places are limited—book early to secure your spot!

The Renaissance at Home Course tutor: Lydia Goodson (art historian)The Warburg Institute offers The Renaissance at Home as a virtual class via Zoom meeting weekly for five weeks. The course is designed for students, researchers and the general public with some prior understanding of Renaissance art history. This short cou...

The Wheel of Fortune – A Card of Cycles, Fate, and Transformation

Here is The Wheel of Fortune from the Linweave Tarot (1967)—a striking deck that integrates tarot, advertising, and design.

Though it resembles a traditional tarot card, the Linweave Tarot was actually a creative marketing tool, designed to showcase the colours and textures of Linweave paper. Each of its 42 cards features unique artwork by designers like David Palladini and Nicolas Sidjakov, blending French tarot traditions with modern American aesthetics. Divinatory meanings are even printed on the back, alongside paper stock details!

Discover this fascinating fusion of art, mysticism, and marketing in Tarot – Origins & Afterlives, now open at the Warburg Institute.

✨ On view until 30 April 2025
📍 Warburg Institute
Book your free ticket: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/tarot-origins-and-afterlives-2025

📸 Image: The Wheel of Fortune card from the Linweave Tarot, 1967. Courtesy of Mark Pilkington, Strange Attractor Press.