Games have evolved from the days of poker and Monopoly, but there has

always been an attempt by game creators to include contemporary art that is

visually appealing. Looking at the artwork of the games we play now and

comparing it to the artwork of games from our past and the earlier artwork

that inspired both can serve as a snapshot of history.

The Evolution of Art in Games

My first piece is a composite of eight cards from the replica pack "I Tarocchi dei Visconti"

published by Dal Negro, Treviso, Italy. This is the most complete surviving 15th Century Tarot deck.

This pack of hand painted tarot cards appears to have have been made for the Duke of Milan in 1450 by

Bonifacio Bembo and Francesco Zavattari. Hand painted packs like this were common during the

renaissance, but only affordable by the wealthy. Here we can clearly see the influence of the spirit of

Humanism on the design of modern playing cards.

The Visconti Tarots, c.1445 Bonifacio Bembo

Painted around 1425 by Masaccio, The Expulsion Of Adam and Eve from Eden is a single scene from the cycle by

Massacio, Masolino and others on the walls of the Brancacci Chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine in

Florence. Masaccio is remembered primarily for his innovative use of perspective. His originality and imagination

secured his place as one of the founders of the Rennaisance. Masaccio was a major inspiration to the more famous

Michelangelo. This influence is most visible in Michelangelo's " The Fall of Man and the Expulsion from the

Garden of Eden" on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The story of disobedience and expulsion is recounted in both

Testaments in different ways. Examples include the teachings of Paul in Romans 5:12–19 and 1 Cor. 15:21–22.

Three centuries after the fresco was painted, Cosimo III de' Medici, in line with contemporary ideas of decorum,

ordered that fig leaves be added to conceal the genitals of the figures. These were eventually removed in the 1980s

when the painting was fully restored and cleaned. It is partially because of Massacio's work with perspective that

we have the dynamic three-dimensional video game worlds we enjoy today.

The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, c.1425 Tommaso Massacio

Todd Lockwood's Ghost was the cover of the TSR game product "Children of the Night:

Ghosts", a Dungeons and Dragons Game Accessory from Wizards of the Coast.

The soft lines of the ghost contrast with the almost photographic quality of the

background, creating a strange effect that strengthens the impression of an actual ghost

in the painting. Massacio's The Expulsion Of Adam and Eve from Eden may have been

an influence on Lockwood, as there are definite similarities in composition.

Ghost, c.1997 Todd Lockwood

The printing firm of J.P. Beach, located in New York, apparently designed and printed this board

in 1851. It was patterned almost exactly after an English version first published in 1831. This

version was also printed, and not a painting. As well as being an interesting example of the use

of art in games, this particular game is also recognized as the precursor to modern race games

such as Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, and Monopoly.

Laurie’s New and Entertaining Game of the Golden Goose, c.1574-1587 Unknown Artist

The Garden of Earthly Delights is the modern title given to this triptych painted by the Early Netherlandish

master Hieronymus Bosch. It has been housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid since 1939. It reveals the

artist at the height of his powers; in no other painting does he achieve such complexity of meaning or such

vivid imagery.It isn't until the advent of computer gaming that this level of complexity would be attempted again.

The left panel shows God presenting Eve to Adam, the central panel is a broad panorama of sexually engaged

nude figures, fantastical animals, oversized fruit and hybrid stone formations. The right panel is a hellscape

and portrays the torments of damnation. The extreme subject matter of the inner center and right panels make

it unlikely that it was intended to function in a church or monastery. In 2009, the Prado selected The Garden of

Earthly Delights as one of the museum's fourteen most important paintings, to be displayed in Google Earth at

a resolution of 14,000 megapixels.

The Garden of Earthly Delights, c.1490-1510 Hieronymus Bosch

Here we see an animated scene from Blizzard's popular online video game, World of

Warcraft. This scene is for a monthly event known as the Darkmoon Faire. With the

dark colors and soft lines, Blizzard's graphic artists have recreated a medieval fair in

the style of Heironymous Bosch's Hell, from the Third panel of his central triptych. It

is becoming increasingly important to gamers that the games they play hold visually

appealing elements, and game companies such as Blizzard have turned to graphic

artists to create fantastic three-dimensional images that allow the player to explore

images reminiscent of the works of the masters.

The Darkmoon Faire, World Of Warcraft. Version 4.3.0. November 29, 2011. Blizzard Entertainment

References Wintle, S. (1996). The Visconti-Sforza Tarocchi Cards, c.1445. In World Of Playing Cards. Retrieved January 16, 2012, from:

http://www.wopc.co.uk/italy/visconti.html

Artble. (2012). Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, c.1425. In Artble.com. Retrieved January 13, 2012 from:

http://www.artble.com/artists/tommaso_cassai_masaccio/paintings/expulsion_from_the_garden_of_eden

Lockwood, T. (Artist). (1997). Ghost. Private collection. Retrieved January 16, 2012, from:

http://www.toddlockwood.com/galleries/dnd/01/ghost.shtml

Unknown Artist (1574-1587). Laurie’s New and Entertaining Game of the Golden Goose. Private collection. Retrieved January 16, 2012

from: http://www.museumofplay.org/blog/play-stuff/2010/04/which-came-first-the-goose-or-the-egg/

Heironymus Bosch (1490-1510). The Garden of Earthly Delights. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid . Retrieved January 16, 2012 from:

http://www.museodelprado.es/imagen/alta_resolucion/P02823.jpg

Blizzard Entertainment (November 29, 2011). The Darkmoon Faire. World Of Warcraft. Retrieved January 16th, 2011 from:

http://us.media5.battle.net/cms/gallery/X8P4WIGOAZDR1314243323920.jpg