Getty Museum
Boccaccio's Vision of the Laurel-Crowned Petrarch
Creator
Boucicaut MasterFrench Illuminator · 1390–1430
All works by this person →In the early 1400s, the Boucicaut Master was the leading master of manuscript illumination in Paris and one of the most influential artists working in the International style in northern Europe. The Boucicaut Master appears to have supervised a talented team of artists who produced manuscripts commissioned by the king of France, high-ranking aristocrats, and the wealthy bourgeoisie. He probably al
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- about 1413–1415
- Medium
- Tempera colors, gold leaf, gold paint, and ink
- Culture
- French
- Department
- Manuscripts
- Institution
- Getty Museum
In *Concerning the Fates of Illustrious Men and Women* , Giovanni Boccaccio identifies Petrarch, the contemporary Italian poet, as his mentor. Here, in the small miniature by the Boucicaut Master and workshop, Petrarch appears to Boccaccio in a vision, wearing the crown of laurel associated with poetic achievement. In this dream, Petrarch rouses Boccaccio from an exhausted slumber and inspires him to resume work on his book. Boccaccio's modest expression and the downcast eyes that reveal his embarrassment make the scene's emotion apparent. Swirling vines of golden ivy and various figures, such as a fantastic animal and an exotically dressed man playing an organ, cover the border. In contrast to the saturated, vivid colors of the illusionistic miniature, the decorative ornament is painted with delicate, transparent brushwork.
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