The Morgan Library & Museum in New York will present 'Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions,' an exhibition exploring the centuries-old tradition of tarot cards. Opening June 26 through October 4, the show features three surviving 15th-century decks commissioned by the Dukes of Milan, alongside modern interpretations by artists such as Pamela Colman Smith, André Breton, Victor Brauner, Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington, and Salvador Dalí. The exhibition traces how tarot imagery evolved from Italian court culture to become a tool for fortune-telling and artistic inspiration.
This exhibition matters because it positions tarot as a significant artistic and cultural tradition that has influenced modern and Surrealist art, offering an alternative to modernist aesthetics. By juxtaposing Renaissance decks with 20th-century reimaginings, the show highlights how artists have used tarot to explore imaginative possibilities and challenge artistic conventions. It also underscores the enduring legacy of Pamela Colman Smith's iconic Rider-Waite-Smith deck, which remains the most widely used tarot deck today.