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Pyrrhus, king of the ancient Greek territory of Epirus, collapses with a shoulder wound after a fierce battle against the Romans. In 281 B.C. he sailed to the aid of Tarentum, a Greek colony in southern Italy at war with Rome. As the text explains, the battlefield was located near a castle, which the artist depicted as a massive fortress. After Pyrrhus fled the skirmish due to his injury, his troops suffered from confusion and sustained great losses. Pyrrhus finally defeated the enemy but only at great cost to his army, leading to the expression "Pyrrhic victory" for a victory offset by staggering losses.

Details

  • Title: The Wounding of Pyrrhus
  • Creator: Boucicaut Master
  • Date Created: about 1413–1415
  • Location Created: Paris, France
  • Physical Dimensions: Leaf: 42 × 29.6 cm (16 9/16 × 11 5/8 in.)
  • Type: Folio
  • External Link: Find out more about this object on the Museum website.
  • Medium: Tempera colors, gold leaf, gold paint, and ink on parchment
  • Terms of Use: Open Content
  • Number: 96.MR.17.131v
  • Culture: French
  • Credit Line: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Ms. 63, fol. 131v
  • Creator Display Name: Boucicaut Master or workshop (French, active about 1390 - 1430)
  • Classification: Manuscripts (Documents)

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