The tarot, once associated primarily with bohemian and occult circles, has entered mainstream culture, experiencing a surge in popularity in recent years. Interest in tarot readings notably increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the variety and availability of tarot decks have expanded rapidly.

A new exhibition at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York, titled *Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions*, explores the evolution of tarot cards from their origins in 15th-century Italy through to their widespread contemporary use. The show features works by more than two dozen artists, including Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, and British painter Chris Ofili.

According to Claire Gilman, curator of the exhibition's Modern Visions section, tarot cards began not as mystical tools but as playing cards during the Italian Renaissance. It was only after the cards were introduced to France in the 18th century that they acquired occult associations, eventually spreading to the United Kingdom and worldwide in the 20th century.

Gilman highlights the tarot’s unique combination of continuity and transformation as a key factor in its lasting appeal. “There is so much continuity, but also tremendous change and transformation,” she explained. “It has these established characters, but there’s also this openness being built into it.”

The exhibition showcases a significant portion of the Visconti-Sforza deck, one of the oldest surviving sets of tarot cards, originally created for a noble Italian family. The Morgan’s collection has been combined with pieces held by Italy’s Accademia Carrara in Bergamo to present a rare opportunity to see these hand-painted luxury objects. Co-curator Joshua O’Driscoll noted that the deck represents the very beginning of tarot imagery, created by artists who mastered various traditional techniques such as panel painting, wall painting, and manuscript illumination.

Despite their age, the Renaissance decks on display retain strong visual parallels with modern tarot sets. O’Driscoll pointed out that the images remain recognizable to contemporary tarot users, underscoring the enduring nature of the symbols.

The tarot’s initial imagery drew inspiration from Petrarch’s *Triumphs*, a series of poems exploring a spiritual journey from sin to redemption. However, as tarot evolved, the influences broadened significantly. The 1909 publication of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck marked a major development. Designed with artist Pamela Colman Smith’s artistic freedom, the deck incorporated a wide range of sources, from biblical themes to contemporary British society and the Art Nouveau movement. Its distinctive feature was the detailed illustration of the minor arcana cards, which had previously been largely unadorned. Gilman credits this innovation for the deck’s widespread accessibility and success, as it allowed users to engage with each card’s imagery and narrative intricately.

The tarot’s popularity continued to diversify with decks like Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot and David Palladini’s Aquarian Deck, which reflected esoteric and art deco influences, respectively. These decks gained prominence in the 1960s and 70s, periods that laid the groundwork for the explosion of new decks around the turn of the 21st century.

Gilman observes that although tarot decks were somewhat limited in number during the mid-20th century, today the variety has multiplied exponentially, with hundreds of new decks published regularly.

*Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions* is open at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York through October 4.