Getty Museum
The Putrefaction of the Flesh of the Dying Emperor Galerius
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
Two servants of the Roman emperor Galerius cover their mouths from the stench of his rotting flesh. The emperor lies on his deathbed, suffering from a horrendous malady that reportedly caused his entrails to decay inside his body and worms to come out of his mouth, ears, and nose. For people in the Middle Ages, illness was often seen as the result of sin, and Galerius's sickness was interpreted as his punishment for persecuting Christians. According to Boccaccio, Galerius was not punished by Jupiter, whom he falsely honored and disloyally served in Rome, but rather by Jesus, the celestial king born of a virgin, who is Lord of heaven and earth
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