Getty Museum
Cartalus, Hanged by Order of His Father, is Cut Down from the Gibbet
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
Cartalus, whose body hangs from the gibbet, unsuccessfully attempted to avoid a conflict between religious duty and familial obligation. His father, a nobleman of Carthage, had been banished to Syria because of his political ambition to control the city. He ordered Cartalus, an influential high priest, to persuade the populace to allow his return. At a public celebration devoted to the hero Hercules, Cartalus respected his priestly duties instead of his father's wishes; he conducted the religious sacrifice following custom, neglecting to plead his father's case. After the ceremony, Cartalus returned to his father, who had him hanged for disobedience. The artist painted the story's poignant ending, an event not mentioned in the text.
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