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Shapur, King of Persia, Humiliates the Roman Emperor Valerian
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
Shapur I, king of Persia, mounts his horse by treading on the back of the Roman emperor Valerian. After a series of wars against the Romans, Shapur defeated Valerian at Edessa in A.D. 260 and kept him captive for the rest of his life. Boccaccio speaks directly to Valerian in the text, telling him that he dishonored the people of Rome and should have killed himself to avoid such humiliation. He says that Valerian deserved his fate because he had oppressed Christians, cursed the name of God, and persecuted the Church, while allowing pagans to worship false gods. The word *Ancram,* which appears below the miniature, can be found on a number of folios in this manuscript. It is the signature of the Earl of Ancram, who owned the manuscript in the 1700s.
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