Golden Botticelli - Cards and paintings matching

[Kitty xoxo]

Hi all,
I have recently bought my first traot deck, and as an avid Botticelli fan, decided to research which paintings matched with which cards.
It IS a real shame a corresponding book has not been released with the deck, as it's really fascinating, however doing the research/detective work was really rewarding as it made me look at the cards and paintings with a new set of eyes.

I will post all of my findings, with the name of the painting first and the cards that correspond. Any cards that have a question mark after it, is one I am not 100% sure on. I think you'll find it really fascinating, expecially given the discussion about 10 Wands once you find out what it's based on

Fortitude:
-The Empress

Primavera:
-8 wands (Eros figure)
-The Stars
-3 wands
-7 chalices
-Knave of Pentacles ??
-Temperance
-Ace of Wands ??

Birth of Venus:
-The Lovers
-3 chalices
-The World

Adoration of the Magi:
-1 chalices
-10 chalices ??
-The Sun??
-Madonna of the Magnificat??
-9 Wands (the bird)

Venus and Mars:
-10 wands
-2 pentacles (imps)

Cestello Annunciation:
-2 chalices?? (winged lady)
-Ace of wands
-6 swords (background/tree/window box)

Mystical Nativity:
-6 wands (green dress instead of brown/pink/white)??
-2 chalices

Agony in the Garden:
-The Wheel (angel and 3 men)
-Moon ?? (same arms crossed and shawl)
-4 swords (same pedestal of earth)

Annuniation (San Marco alterpiece)
-High Priestess??
-Queen of chalices??
(both have a book??)

Baptism of St. Zenobius:
-5 chalices?? (similar pose to man)

Calumny of Apelles:
-Chariot??? (man of stone in background??)
-3 swords
-4 swords (female figure)

Christ in Sepulchre c. 1488:
-Judgement???

Coronation of the Virgin (San Marco):
-Hierophant
-Ace of Pentacles (angels together)???

Return of Judith to Bathulia:
-5 swords

Lamentation over the Dead Christ:
-Death

Lamentation over the Dead Christ with Saints:
-10 swords

Madonna and Child and Young St.John Baptiste
-The Sun

Madonna and Child and 2 angels:
-10 chalices

Madonna and Child:
-4 wands

Madonna and Child with Angel 1470 OR Madonna and Child with 6 Angels
-Ace of Chalices??

Madonna of the Book:
-Queen of chalices??

Pallas and the Centaur:
-7 wands
-Justice

Miracle of St.Eligius:
-8 pentacles

Portrait of a Man with Medal of Cosimo the Elder:
-King of Pentcales

Portrait of a Young Man:
-king of chalices??

St.Jerome in Penitence:
-The hermit

St.Sebastian:
-8 swords
-hanged man

Story of Nastagio (1st):
-knight of swords (similar to knight of wands)

Story of Nastagio (4th):
-9 chalices

Trials and Calling of Moses:
-2 swords

3 Temptations of Christ:
-10 pentacles
-7 pentacles

St.Augustine:
-the magician

Bardi Alterpiece 1484:
-ace of chalices

St.Augustine in his Cell:
-the Emperor???

Story of Nastagio:
-knave of chalices and wands

[Ambrosia]

Wow, this is an awesome reference! Thanks Kitty - I'm in the process of researching all the paintings you mention.

[Glenda]

I bought this deck about a year ago. I'm not new to the tarot (reading for over 10 years and I read professionally now). Its amazing! However, I do find some of the cards harder to read or have another spin on the traditional meanings. I too recently decided that I might get some clues by looking at the actual paintings and to learn about those to help me get the idea that A.A was trying to get across when he made the cards. I really do wish that there was a book that came with it to help out on all of those deviations. Anyone interested in studying this deck? I'm up for it.

[Ambrosia]

I've had the deck for a couple of years now and I admit I've had some problems reading with it in the past due to the images not stacking up with the meanings in the LWB.
Well, lately I've become enamoured of it again and for some reason it's really speaking to me, in fact it's singing!
I think when I decided to ignore the traditional meanings and go with my gut feeling about the actual images, that's when it really opened up to me.

[Kitty xoxo]

I agree, I am struggling to often match the picture with traditional meanings. It's my first deck, and I bought it because I love Boticelli's work, but in researching meanings of cards, often they make reference to the symbology of the traditional cards, and very often those symbols are not in the Botticelli deck.

It's definitely interesting

[Kitty xoxo]

I found another one:
7 of Swords = Life of Moses