Getty Museum
Philip, A False Claimant to the Throne of Macedonia
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
Despite the crown and rich costume worn by the prisoner in this image, the man is not of royal lineage. A serf named Andriscus, he succeeded in passing himself off as Philip, the deceased king of Macedonia, resurrected from the dead. While occupying the throne, he assembled an army and waged war against the Romans. Only after multiple campaigns did the Roman consul Metellus defeat and capture him. The false king was then taken to Rome and ridiculed in a triumphal procession, the probable subject of this miniature. The text explains that Andriscus was raised from a base state to that of royalty by a turn of fortune but ended by falling to a state even lower than his humble origins.
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