help- golden universal tarot or Golden Bottecelli tarot?

Lisa Myobun

In my experience, they do. It's not one of my strongest reading decks, but I had good readings with it.

I have only the Botticelli, not the Golden Universal. It stretches your reading muscles a bit more than another RWS version, that's true. But why is that a bad thing? It's a beautiful and unique deck. In my opinion, the artist (Atanassov is his name I think) did some of the best decks LoScarabeo has to offer. His interpretation is sensitive to tarot AND to Botticelli. It's nice to think how a tarot might have looked if Botticelli had painted one. Even the fact that some of the faces are used for more than one card is in harmony with Botticelli - most of his women resemble each other (and the gorgeous Simonetta Vespucci).

I will get out my Botticelli deck right now :)

All the golden LoScarabeo decks are interesting. But the Botticelli is especially beautiful and it reads well (for me, better than the Klimt which I find a bit cold).

ETA: It's important to note that Atanassov doesn't collage or use original paintings like other decks do (Distant Past and Kat Black decks are collages, Art of Life uses full paintings). He re-interprets the paintings in a different medium, not tempera on wood like Botticelli used but crayons - it's a bit softer, fuzzier and less opaque and crisp than Botticelli's own paintings. He also changes the composition. This technique makes the tarot cards very seamless and unique. I wish he'd make more decks, I will one day have all of his decks :)



This is totally fascinating; I love the distinctions you're making here between collage, whole image, and re-interpretation... and of course I now find myself itching to grab the Botticelli! (Hanging out on the forum is decidedly hazardous to my bank account!)

But I'm even more intrigued by your description of Atanassov as a deck artist. What other decks did he create?

Thanks so much, Nemia!
 

silvereye

This is totally fascinating; I love the distinctions you're making here between collage, whole image, and re-interpretation... and of course I now find myself itching to grab the Botticelli! (Hanging out on the forum is decidedly hazardous to my bank account!)

But I'm even more intrigued by your description of Atanassov as a deck artist. What other decks did he create?

Thanks so much, Nemia!

Yes this forum is so enabling isnt it!!!
 

Nemia

Yes, it's absolutely horrible ;-)

Atanossov, as far as I remember, was involved with the LoScarabeo artist deck line. He did the Botticelli, Klimt, Mantegna, the majors of the Leonardo da Vinci deck, and the Bosch tarot. Oh, and the lovely Golden Tarot of the Tsar (which is SO interesting in contrast to the Byzantine - same style but different spirit - Atanassov keeps the respect for the icons intact while the Byzantine presents Eastern Christianity as just another fascinating mythology - I'm so glad I have those two beautiful decks since I love Byzantine art, and they represent a traditional vs post-modern approach to it, each valid). And of course the Visconti missing cards.

I will sooner or later add the Mantegna and Bosch to my collection.

He's Bulgarian, obviously has a solid classical training in art, and he really gets into the style of each deck. You can see resemblances, e.g. how he sees the Fool, and his decks are totally Early Modern European even where they follow the RWS scheme. And I like that.
 

Lisa Myobun

Yes, it's absolutely horrible ;-)



Atanossov, as far as I remember, was involved with the LoScarabeo artist deck line. He did the Botticelli, Klimt, Mantegna, the majors of the Leonardo da Vinci deck, and the Bosch tarot. Oh, and the lovely Golden Tarot of the Tsar (which is SO interesting in contrast to the Byzantine - same style but different spirit - Atanassov keeps the respect for the icons intact while the Byzantine presents Eastern Christianity as just another fascinating mythology - I'm so glad I have those two beautiful decks since I love Byzantine art, and they represent a traditional vs post-modern approach to it, each valid). And of course the Visconti missing cards.



I will sooner or later add the Mantegna and Bosch to my collection.



He's Bulgarian, obviously has a solid classical training in art, and he really gets into the style of each deck. You can see resemblances, e.g. how he sees the Fool, and his decks are totally Early Modern European even where they follow the RWS scheme. And I like that.



This is great - so helpful and detailed! Even worse for my aching bank account, but very good for my soul!