Boccacio, links, is getuige van het neersteken van een koning c. 1470

Curator: Well, here we have an intriguing tempera painting, an illustration really, made around 1470 by an anonymous artist. Its title, "Boccacio, links, is getuige van het neersteken van een koning," suggests a witness to a king's assassination, derived from Boccaccio’s writings. Editor: Wow, dark! Immediate impression? A tiny, frozen stage of controlled chaos. The muted colours, like tarnished silver and old gold, amplify the sense of dread. The architecture looming behind feels less like protection and more like a cage. Curator: Yes, its small scale is characteristic of the International Gothic style. These miniatures often served as illuminations in manuscripts, presenting narratives to a privileged audience. Note the artist's attempt at perspective and the use of line to define form. But look, everything’s flattened. What we get is drama rather than realism. Editor: Right. And there’s a delicious tension between the formality of the composition – everyone posed so carefully – and the brutality of the act. I mean, look at the guy getting stabbed. His face, so full of anguish, yet he's surrounded by these impassive, almost mannequin-like figures. It makes you wonder who, exactly, Boccaccio is witnessing here. Guilt by association? Moral failing? Curator: Good question. Consider the role of art in depicting power, even its downfall. Such images could serve as morality tales, political propaganda, or simply historical documentation. These representations contribute to the construction of history itself. Who gets to tell it, and from what perspective? The church? The aristocracy? A Florentine humanist? Editor: It makes you think about our current moment doesn't it, where visual narratives are everywhere but we often have no sense of who commissioned, edited, and released them? Like these figures in the painting are stuck, literally, unable to intervene in their story. Curator: Precisely. This small artwork speaks volumes about the social and political context of its time and the lasting power of images to shape our understanding of the past, of our selves. Editor: It does make you feel slightly less stressed about contemporary "influencers" knowing these cycles have been going on forever... thanks Anonymous, for giving me that thought!