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Agnieszka Żak, “The Empress” from the “Major Arcana” series, 2025 – a contemporary tarot-inspired painting
Agnieszka Żak, painting “The Empress” from the “Major Arcana” series, oil on canvas, round format (60 cm in diameter, 2025), is the artist’s interpretation of one of the key tarot cards – the Empress. In tarot symbolism, the Empress card refers to a woman, her personality and behaviour. In its upright position it speaks of feminine qualities such as beauty, charm, patience, care and the ability to support others; reversed, it points to possessiveness, overprotection and controlling attitudes. The Empress also symbolises motherhood, fertility, abundance and the feeling of safety that comes from the presence of a nurturing figure.
In Agnieszka Żak’s “The Empress”, this tarot archetype is translated into the language of sensual, decorative painting. The surface of the red tondo is filled with dense floral ornaments swirling towards the centre, evoking the image of a richly embroidered dress and, at the same time, the vibrant energy of life and emotions. The artist uses the motif of a gown designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga for Helena Rubinstein, the same fabric that appears in her painting “Strength”. This historical reference reinforces the Empress as a figure of power, luxury and feminine authority.
“The Empress” from the “Major Arcana” cycle combines tarot inspiration with the history of fashion and 20th-century portrait painting. It is an attractive work for collectors interested in Polish contemporary painting, figurative art rooted in symbolism and tarot-inspired artworks, where archetypal images are transformed into a very personal visual language.
Keywords: Agnieszka Żak “The Empress” painting, Major Arcana series, tarot inspired art, Polish contemporary art, Empress tarot card meaning, Balenciaga dress Helena Rubinstein, female archetypes in art.
