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Jugurtha, King of Numidia, Thrown from His Roman Prison into the Tiber
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
Although the author Boccaccio seemed unsure of the ultimate fate of Jugurtha, son of a Numidian prince and a concubine, he stated that some historians believed he was killed at night and tossed from the Tarpeian Rock into the Tiber River tied to a stone. In this miniature, however, Jugurtha is thrown from a tower, rather than from a rock. Jugurtha was excluded from the line of succession by his grandfather's will, but his father raised him in the palace with his half-brothers the princes. Having proved his valor in military exploits, he was accepted as a legitimate heir to the throne and inherited a third of the kingdom. Greedy for the entire kingdom, he murdered his brothers to inherit their portions. His covetous nature, however, eventually led to his downfall. His own father-in-law recognized his ruthless nature and handed him over to the Romans, who took him as a captive and had him killed.
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