Cy apres sensuit de sophonisbe royne de numedie · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Cy apres sensuit de sophonisbe royne de numedie
Subject: Masinissa; Important Women; Famous Women; Devotion; Important Queens; Sophonisba
Period: 1400-1450;
Geographic: Modern day Algeria; North Africa; Numidia
Description: This illumination depicts Sophonisba, the queen of Numidia, about to drink a chalice full of poison. She is illustrated wearing a crown to demonstrate her royal status. Sophonisba is famous for her death, as she willingly drank a poison given to her by her husband to avoid dying at the hands of her Roman enemies. Sophonisba’s husband, Masinissa, is illustrated on the left side of the image wearing a blue robe and a crown as he stands beside the servant. Sophonisba is illustrated reaching towards the chalice. There is another depiction of Sophonisba as she falls to the ground after drinking the poison.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Illuminator)
Type: Text; Illumination
Identifier: mta:18494
Language: frm
Source Name: Livre que fist Jehan BOCACE de Certalde des cleres et nobles femmes, lequel il envoia à Audice de Accioroles de Florence, contesse de Haulteville [Book from Giovanni Boccaccio of Certaldo called the cleric and noble women, of which he sent to Audice Accioroles of Florence, Countess of Haulteville]
Parent Collection: 1401 Florence
Image: mta_18494_OBJ.jpg