This video illustrates the many steps involved in the creation of a single Renaissance tarot card. Conservators and conservation scientists carried out material analysis of cards from all three Visconti-Sforza decks, which revealed that the steps of production, the artists’ materials, and the techniques are generally consistent, suggesting a well-established and organized workshop practice. The Bembo workshop, attributed with the creation of the Visconti-Sforza decks, combined techniques from across media, including panel paintings, frescoes, and manuscript illuminations, to create the ornate and detailed tarot cards.
Created on the occasion of the exhibition Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions, on view at the Morgan Library & Museum June 26 through October 4, 2026.