Getty Museum
Cyrus the Great, Founder of the Persian Empire, killed by Thamaris, Queen of the Massagetai
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
Dressed as a warrior, Thamaris, a woman who ruled over a group of nomads who lived to the east of the Caspian Sea, stands over the barrel that catches the blood of her enemy, Cyrus, king of the Medes. An executioner holds Cyrus's head by his hair, while behind him lie the dead bodies of the defeated army. As part of his effort to consolidate his regime's possessions, Cyrus had attempted to subdue the territory of Thamaris. Although he encountered a struggle, he had attacked successfully and captured the queen's son. After her son committed suicide in Cyrus's captivity, Thamaris swore revenge and finally succeeded in both killing Cyrus and defeating his army.
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