Did Mantegna make the Mantegna trionfi after all?

Hi everyone! I'm reposting this from the TdM/historical decks page, which may not have been the right forum for such a thread:

I have recently become enamored of the so-called "Mantegna Tarot" and have been steadily devouring information on this set of prints. One of the readily available bits of information is the common knowledge that Andrea Mantegna was actually not the artist of the prints, but likely one of his pupils.

Does anyone know of the source for this claim? In my searches, I have found nothing beyond the referenced claims of art historians. Generally, when experts make a claim like this, they catalogue a preponderance of evidence; I have yet to find this or even a reference to that end.

On the other hand, I did find Rafal Prinke's article that refers to Vasari's biographical note that Mantegna made the finest set of 'Trionfi' seen in a long time, which may refer to the prints. The prints are dated to circa 1460, when Mantegna would have been in his late 20s-early 30s: young enough to be making trionfi cards for the general public, and old enough to possibly have some students doing this kind of work.

Certainly, the images reflect the characteristics of Mantegna's style: low horizon, promoting a monumental feel of the subject, which is rendered in the statuary style in which he excelled. It almost seems that Mantegna could certainly be a likely candidate as the creator of the prints, in spite of the 'common knowledge.'

Does anyone have any thoughts and/or leads on this topic?

Stefan

Generally it's considered, that Mantegna hasn't been the artist.

Perhaps this helps ...
http://trionfi.com/0/m/00/

I had seen the Trionfi.com articles before, and was a little skeptical about Hind's and Brockhaus' and Merlin's claims, which were all based on assessments of the engravings. As Bertrand Russell would say: "Not enough evidence..."

But....

This time, I did a search for "Vasari" on the site, and Angelo Parrasio's scholarship came up. I hadn't seen that before. His findings make a more convincing argument.

Thanks for bringing that site back to my attention, Huck!

Stefan

Well,
we just collected earlier earlier opinions. "Angelo Parrasio" as an artist active at the court in Ferrara was in the focus of Kenneth Clark, an art researcher. Angelo Parrasio painted "Muses", and there was a "Muses" fashion in Ferrara, cause Leonello (Signore of Ferrara 1442-1450) wished Muses as motifs in his studiolo. Borso (follower of Leonello) proceeded with this project in the 1450s.

We ourselves pointed to Lodovico Lazzarelli, who bought pictures in a book store in Venice around 1470. Some of these pictures were used as "motifs" for two works in the library of Federico Montefeltro, one work by Lodovico Lazzarelli himself (which used 27 figures, from which 23 were from the Mantegna Tarocchi), another in a Martiano Capella edition (some other motifs). In Lazzarelli's work were used 41-50 Spheres, 11-20 Muses with Apoll and 26-28 Musica, Poetry and Athena as Philosophia. These where illuminations, not prints.

Montefeltro got this work 1474 or later. The work had been prepared for Borso, who became duke for Ferrara in 1471. Borso died, so the dedication was changed to "duke Federico Montefeltro" (who became duke of Urbin in 1474).

4 totally identical prints (4 cardinal virtues 34-27, without the frame with the number) had appeared in a work in the library in St. Gallen, dated to 1468, some other motifs were used in a Bolognese manuscript of 1467. This served as enough evidence for Arthur Hind, that all 50 motifs were composed around 1465.

However, 4 printed motifs without numbers don't give a guarantee, that all 50 engravings already existed.

We assume, that the printer Sweynheim was active in the matters of the Mantegna Tarocchi. Sweynheim, oldest book printer in Italy together with Pannartz since 1463 (first in Subiaco, then in Rome) worked since 1473 as engraver for a Ptelomy edition, which appeared 1478.
Hind himself considered some elements in the Ptelomy edition as similar to the older Mantegna Tarocchi edition (E-series).
Subiaco was a Benedictine abbey, and St. Gallen had also Benedictine influence, the 4 very precise copies in St. Gallen from 1468 might go back to book art transports from Italy to Switzerland, as part of the common cloister cooperation in matters of manuscript productions (without book printing technology).
Sweynheim and Pannartz, who became Benedictines, had earlier worked in Mainz in the printing house of Gutenberg. The Gutenberg bible contained high-class engraving, which partly contained material, which is given to the "Meister der Spielkarten".

Generally the Mantegna Tarocchi is admired for its high engraving quality (in comparison to other contemporary productions).

Lazzarelli had been in Rome since 1475, Sweynheim started to organize the Ptelomy engravings in 1473, Montefeltro got the Lazzarelli work not before 1474.

Lazzarelli had contact to Lorenzo Zane before he appeared in Rome, and Lorenzo Zane had promised to help the poet. Lorenzo Zane had been very close to the papal court, and with that also close to Montefeltro, who worked then for the papal court as highest general of the papal armies (Zane was involved in the same military operation in 1474, which gave reason, that Montefeltro got the duke title in the same year).
Sweynheim and Pannartz had during their stay in Rome always close connections to the papal librarians.

Lazzarelli bought some pictures in Venice, of not clear origin (maybe from one artist, but might be also from different artists). This he used in his work (23 of them), some others possibly found their way to the second manuscript in Montefeltro's library. Lazzarelli got a good sum of ducats from Montefeltro, so says the biography of Lazzarelli.

The same collection (or a part) - so it seems - went via Lorenzo Zane to the papal court. At least 4 pictures of the Mantegna Tarocchi (the 4 cardinal virtues) didn't come from Lazzarelli's book store, but came with Sweynheim, other motifs might have been chosen from elsewhere.
It's not clear, who had the final word in the whole composition (50 motifs with numbers; possibly a discussion on highest level - at the papal court - decided this). It's plausible to assume, that the production had been part of other goods made for the Jubilee year 1475. Many of the surviving Mantegna Tarocchi prints have been found in German collections. Lazzarelli also had some popularity in Germany. Both factors might indicate, that Germans had their hand in the production and distribution of these pictures.

Sweynheim died soon after 1475 (maybe 1477), other persons connected to the Ptolemy edition died also. Regiomontanus was also in Rome (generally geographical/astronomical/astrological topics were hot in this phase of early book-printing, and it's likely correct, to interpret the Mantegna Tarocchi as part of this fashion) and died, too.
Lazzarelli became then honored member of the Accademia Romana, and wrote a work "Fasti", a calendar for festivities (also part of the geographical/astronomical/astrological topics), which took some years. As a poor poet he had to hunt for sponsors.
Lorenzo Zane, a very troublesome man, became involved in a scandal 1476, and didn't become cardinal (as he had desired). He got further problematic commissions.



E-Series, Poetry



Poetry, Ladenspelder edition c. 1550 with Lazzarelli illumination

More pictures
http://trionfi.com/mantegna/

This is a teasure trove of information! I'm surprised that most of this didn't show up on my searches.

Thanks for taking the time to post this information here. I'm enjoying looking through all of this, especially the illustrations.

Stefan

Thanks for your interest.
There was a long intensive Forum discussion ...

"The "Mantegna": 1450's Bologna?"

.... which you can find by google. It's surely complicated, but it proceeded the web presentation at Trionfi.com.