Medieval power structures included royal courts, the church, city governments, and even universities. Although positions of authority were usually inherited, leaders were expected to embrace justice, a virtue associated with godly rule, over tyranny, a vice that ensured downfall and chaos. Social and legal hierarchies exposed in manuscript illumination underscore the tenuous place of women, the poor, and other ‘out-groups’. Examples of good and bad government reveal the constant struggle between base human instincts and loftier ideals. The works in this exhibition reveal the intersections between power, justice, and tyranny and illustrate the constant struggle between noble aspirations and base human instincts.
Master of the Jardin de vertueuse consolation (active ca. 1450-1475), Orsines Presenting a Gift to Alexander and the Execution of Orsines (detail), from Book of the Deeds of Alexander the Great, ca. 1470-1475, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles