Surrealism and the Tarot: A Love Story

A definitive volume illuminating the under-studied role of tarot design in the Surrealist movement

Many long-held aficionados of Surrealism will have heard of the tarot created by Salvador Dalí, or of Arcane 17, André Breton's novel dedicated to Major Arcana card XVII, The Star. Those with more recent interest might have also encountered the wonderful deck designed by Leonora Carrington, discovered in Mexico in 2018. But was there really a place for tarot in Surrealism? Did the Surrealists prophesize with tarot cards, or just play with them? Did they use existing cards, and if so, which ones? Did they make their own?
This groundbreaking publication from Fulgur Press, a leading voice on esotericism and magic in visual culture, answers these questions and many more. Through a series of essays from renowned experts in the field, including Susan Aberth and Tere Arcq, the book addresses a topic that has received very little in-depth scholarly study so far. Extensively illustrated, Surrealism and the Tarot: A Love Story highlights surrealist tarot designs, examines the incorporation of tarot cards and designs in surrealist film, art, literature and polemics, and explores the influence of surrealist visual tropes on contemporary tarot design. Spanning the 1920s to the present day, the book explores the full breadth of international surrealist interest in cartomancy. Surrealism and the Tarot: A Love Story highlights work from a wide-ranging slew of Surrealists, from Penny Slinger to Ithell Colquhoun, from Victor Brauner to Jorge Camacho, and from Kay Sage to Alejandro Jodorowsky, among many others.

Author: Tessel M. Bauduin
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Fulgur Press
Published: 09/01/2026
Pages: 212
Weight: 3.1lbs
Size: 12.10h x 9.70w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781399979894