Tarot Art Book

I was combing the bookstore today for something I'm not sure exists - I was hoping to find a book on the artwork of Tarot - something different than just a book on how to use the cards. Maybe this book doesn't exist, and needs to - but I'd love to see an oversized book that contains bigger-than-card-sized reproductions of cards from the earliest to the most current decks. It seems to me that it would make an excellent art book, one that would be good for casual browsing or even meditative use.

Anyone heard of such a thing?

Bill V

Stuart Kaplan's Tarot Encyclopedia, Volumes 1 through 4, would seem to fit what you describe.

Thanks Marion, that book looks great! It's not exactly what I was thinking of, but probably is the closest thing to it.

I'm not a "collector" in the sense that I look for old decks for purchase, etc., and I think this book is a resource for those people - but all of the artwork in the book makes it attractive to me as well.

I think there is room for more of this type of book, focusing on the artwork of the cards and their individual painters. I would love to also visit some museums that have Tarot exibitions.

Anyway, thanks for the tip! I'm gonna order it now...

Bill

billv said:

I think there is room for more of this type of book, focusing on the artwork of the cards and their individual painters. I would love to also visit some museums that have Tarot exibitions.

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Absolutely!! Make sure you get all 4 volumes eventually, they build upon each other. They are priceless, a gold mine of information and artwork.

When I'm having a bad day I take them all out and browse them--fantastically uplifting. Stuart Kaplan has really done the world a service, not just tarot enthusiasts, but everyone interested in the humanities.

Are there any other books out there which are liberally illustrated but which aren't quite so specialist? I suppose what I'm talking about here is tarot porn really - a book where I can linger over enticing pictures of cards without going too deeply into the history And I would really like a book with the pictures in colour!

For me, Rachel Pollack's Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot was totally "tarot porn."

It has lots and lots of full-color images from lots of different decks. It is the primary reason, too, why I bought the Greenwood despite the high price . . . because after seeing some of the cards reproduced in Rachel's book, I just had to have it!

It's a great "beginners" book, too . . . basic methods, spreads, and interpretations presented in a very easy to read, straightforward style.

Thanks, Annabelle, I'm looking at it online now. Not another one for my wishlist