Boccaccio's Vision of the Laurel-Crowned Petrarch (Main View)

In Concerning the Fates of Illustrious Men and Women, Giovanni Boccaccio identifies Petrarch, the contemporary Italian poet, as his mentor. Here, in the small miniature by the Boucicaut Master and workshop, Petrarch appears to Boccaccio in a vision, wearing the crown of laurel associated with poetic achievement. In this dream, Petrarch rouses Boccaccio from an exhausted slumber and inspires him to resume work on his book. Boccaccio's modest expression and the downcast eyes that reveal his embarrassment make the scene's emotion apparent.

Swirling vines of golden ivy and various figures, such as a fantastic animal and an exotically dressed man playing an organ, cover the border. In contrast to the saturated, vivid colors of the illusionistic miniature, the decorative ornament is painted with delicate, transparent brushwork.