Getty Museum
The Murder of King Servius by His Son-in-law
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
While bystanders--a typical feature of the Boucicaut Master's compositions--witness the event from the walls of the palace, a hired henchman murders Servius Tullius, Etruscan king of Rome, at the order of his son-in-law Lucius Tarquin. According to Boccaccio, Servius's daughter Tullia married Lucius, son of the previous king, but she scorned her husband Lucius because he had not succeeded his father as king. Lucius therefore seized control of the government and had King Servius executed on the road to the palace, as seen in this miniature. In her haste to reach the palace and take her place as queen, the heartless Tullia drove over her own father's body in the street.
The authoritative record is held by Getty Museum. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.
Get printable QR codesHide QR codes
Open QR codes for this object page and the museum record. They stay collapsed until needed.
Related across collections
Semantically similar works from Getty Museum and other institutions.