Political Realism and Hand Painted Cards

[Rosanne]

Political realism is based upon a pluralistic conception of human nature. Real man is a composite of "economic man," "political man," "moral man," "religious man," etc. A man who was nothing but "political man" would be a beast, for he would be completely lacking in moral restraints. A man who was nothing but "moral man" would be a fool, for he would be completely lacking in prudence. A man who was nothing but "religious man" would be a saint, for he would be completely lacking in worldly desires.

A quote from Politics Amongst Nations:The Struggle for Power and Peace by Hans J Morgenthau.

If you look at all the rich hand painted cards that form early Tarot you will find it is said they are from the mid 15th Century. This art became unnecessary as the mass production of Playing cards surged forward with printing skills and demand. If you take away the name Tarot or Tarrocchi or Trionfi you are left with images on cards that appear, at least to me, to have a message of Political realism that was occurring in the mid 15th Century in Italy.

In the 15th century, five powers dominated the Italian peninsula: Venice, Milan, Florence, the Papal States, and the kingdom of Naples. Whenever one Italian state appeared to gain a predominant position within the peninsula, other states combined to establish a balance of power against the major threat. In 1450, for example, Venice went to war against Milan in protest against Francesco Sforza's acquisition of the title of duke of Milan. Cosimo de' Medici of Florence, a long-time supporter of a Florentine -Venetian alliance, switched his position and aided Milan. Florence and Naples combined with Milan against powerful Venice and the papacy. In the peace treaty signed at Lodi in 1454, Venice received territories in return for recognizing Sforza's right to the duchy. This treaty formed what is now called 'Balance of Power'. Sforza would base his lifelong external policy on this principle of Balance of Power. In this was the concept of non aggression between City States and the right to rule themselves, and co-operate with their neighbours, with express boundaries; The Italic League was an international agreement concluded in Venice on the 30 August 1454, stipulated by the Venice and the States of Milan and Florence,the Kingdom of Naples and several smaller city states excluded in the earlier treaty -the Peace of Lodi.

Where did this idea come from?

Well see next post.........

 

[Rosanne]

Probably the oldest concept in the study of International Relations going back at least to the work of Thucydides. It is closely associated with both diplomatic parlance and realist theory. Its logic derives from the self-help imperative of the international system's anarchic structure, in which states are obliged to give priority to survival and security. In pursuing this logic, states will usually join together to oppose any expansionist centre of power that threatens to dominate the system and thus threaten their sovereignty. Balance of power behaviour is central to conceptions of the national interest and to alliance policy. If successful, it preserves individual states and the anarchic structure of the system as a whole. Its opposite is ‘bandwagoning’, in which states seek security by joining with the dominant power. Realists conceive balance of power as an automatic tendency in state behaviour. In an international society perspective, balance of power is a conscious policy shared amongst a group of states, and serving as the principle by which they regulate their relations. Neither ‘balance’ nor ‘power’ are measurable, and their interpretation is much debated.

— Barry Buzan
It would seem that Francesco Sforza read Thucydides, because he quoted part on a tombstone eulogy of one of his Court members.

Here are some of things that Thucydides said.......

"Right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must."
"It is a general rule of human nature that people despise those who treat them well, and look up to those who make no concessions."
"War takes away the easy supply of daily wants, and so proves a rough master, that brings most men's characters to a level with their fortunes."
"The cause of all these evils was the lust for power arising from greed and ambition; and from these passions proceeded the violence of parties once engaged in contention."
"So that, though overcome by three of the greatest things, honour, fear, and profit, we have both accepted the dominion delivered us and refuse again to surrender it, we have therein done nothing to be wondered at nor beside the manner of men.

Now if you take the all the gilded hand painted cards and ignore the missing and the variations there is a plan using a common idea of impressing, expressing, educating through play, using ceremonies connected with family births, baptisms, marriages, funerals, or triumphant entrances into the city as occasions for magnificent pageantry and elaborate ritual. Now like all these ideas- there was a design or structure for impact.

Firstly the Lovers cards we have show a contract not a marriage- nowhere is there an officiator of marriage.

Fool or Idiot
Man at Table
Emperor
Pope
Love Alliance
Chariot or Carroccio
and/or Scales
Elderly man with Time
WOF or Tower
Strength
Hanged Man or Traitor
Death
Temperance
Stars/Moon/Sun and/or 3 Virtues
Judgement
City State with female figure.

These images are the base for a structure that explains the pluralistic nature of man and the correct combination for attaining and explaining Balance of Power through playing a game of cards.

I do not think a Public Relations Company could come up with a better idea today.


~Rosanne

 

[Rosanne]

here is an article about Carroccio or War wagons

http://www.warandgame.info/2010/01/carroccio.html

 

[Bernice]

Really good read Rosanne, thank you.

I see that the visconti Chariot card has no soldiers beside it, nor priests in it, so it would seem that it is depicting a time of peace in the keeping of a 'great family'.

Excerpt:
In times of peace the Carroccio was in the keeping of a great family which had distinguished itself by signal services to the republic.

I like this Balance of Power approach. It accords with my thoughts that the early cards reflect/portray the social & religious scenario of time & place.


Bee

 

[Rosanne]

I like this Balance of Power approach. It accords with my thoughts that the early cards reflect/portray the social & religious scenario of time & place.

Hi Bee, although we can recognise a similarity between the cards we call TdM and the like, with the hand painted cards, there seems a different emphasis; the strongest would maybe a depiction of Marriage, versus showing an alliance.
Although a marriage was an alliance- the emphasis has changed, has indeed the world card, and the Hermit with a light, and a Man on the Chariot. It is almost as if these later cards, became more Catholic- more spiritual- showing a different line of thought with the structure. I can see why people think the cards show a triumph of Christian Salvation. I do not think the Hand Painted cards- show this. I would say the HP cards are a political cycle and the TdM are a Christian cycle. Either emphasis shows the nature of man attaining a goal. It is just that I think the goal was expressed differently, between the Hand Painted and the later engraved or wood blocked cards.

It is interesting that all the Hand painted cards show a Milan influence in someway- but come from different illuminating shops as if each of the City states bought their cards to one event. I include the Gringonneur in this speculation. There are Ferrara cards and Florence cards and the Rothschild cards look Venetian for example. The cards called the Cary-Yale Visconti have a more personal Sforza feel with the Lovers card showing Cremona and Como Colours that did not appear in the PMB. But they all show a Chariot with what would have been the Bell of War as a holding a sign of Power or Peace. It would seem to say Let's quit fighting and make Money through Peace- Let us through Virtue rise to the Stars- It is a good thing- a right thing a Bon Droyt!

Most likely they had a 'show and tell' function before the games were played.
Hence the holes.

~Rosanne

 

[Rosanne]

An Unlettered Prince is a crowned Ass.

In the 1430's Matteo Palmeri wrote in his Della Vita Civille stressed the importance of Philosophy and Wisdom at last been drunk from the pure Fountain- head. Learning was as important as diversions- but diversions could well be learning.

In 1441 Francesco Sforza authorised Pisanello to commemorate him with a medal (image scanned) showing his profile and on the reverse a Horse, sword and Book- you see his belief that the Sword and the Pen or arms and Letters were joined. It seems that Sforza believed that learning, social status, diversions and political thought and Commerce could all be together.

In the Visconti cards on the WOF you see the reigning Prince is a crowned Ass.

You could apply Samuel Daniel's Poem to the beliefs and inter- City state connections of Francesco Sforza, though written some 60 years later than the Coin and cards were produced.

It being the proportion of a happy pen
Not to be invassall'd to one monarchie
But dwell with all the better world of men
Whose spirits are of one communitie,
Whom neither oceans, desarts,rockes nor sans
Can keep from th'intertraffique of the minde....

The impact of so many minds on men who read them (the classics) not merely with with admiration for their knowledge or their particular expertise, but as models from which to learn about Statecraft, the waging of War, the creation of works of Art and the more important art of bearing up under adversity: this impact made the study of the ancient world into a cultural and political force. It was not simply the perusal of neglected manuscripts but a purposeful communication with a race of illustrious forebears.

John Hale

It comes all the way down to us as "Make Love not War"

~Rosanne

 

[Rosanne]

To explain that these cards show love Alliance/friendship rather than marriage- other examples of the same time.
The first scan is a folio leaf that is attributed to Bonifacio Bembo, the painter of the Cary-Yale and The PMB Visconti. It is from what is called now 'The Story of Lancelot of the Lake' dated 1446. It is called the Marriage.

The second scan is The Meeting of Frederick111 and Eleanor of Aragon, overseen by the Bishop of Siena.

So you can see that Marriages, even meetings had officiators. In a Catholic Marriage- you may Marry each other, but you need a Priest.
In fact in the Codice di Donazione 1464 the Marriage of Francesco and Bianca is show much like the cards, but they are been married by a Cardinal.

I cannot find an example of a Marriage where there is a blindfolded Cupid/Eros in attendance.

~Rosanne

 

[Rosanne]

A Big oopps in here. Finally I found an image from the 15th Century of Marriage without Celebrant. Thank Heavens no Cupid with arrows. The Fountain indicates Love though- not dynastic alliance.

http://www.miniaturaitaliana.com/blog/?p=1932