Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index

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Click to view high resolution image Title: Execution of the Innocent Count Creator: Bouts, Dieric, the Elder, painter Description: According to the Golden Legend, the wife of Holy Roman Emperor Otto III falsely accused one of Otto’s married noblemen of rape after he rebuffed her advances. As a result, the emperor had the nobleman beheaded immediately. The narrative runs counterclockwise: Otto and his wife view the count’s arrest from behind a wall. The count’s Franciscan confessor turns to the man, who looks back at his sorrowful wife. In the foreground, townspeople and clergy watch an executioner in parti-colored clothing behead the count and give the head to the man’s wife. The moral of this painting, commissioned by the burghers of Leuven, was that the magistrates should not rush to judgment, but hear both sides of a story first. The accompanying panel, Trial by Fire (not shown here) demonstrates the consequences of this poor judgment. Source: Wikimedia Commons Rights: Public domain Subject (See Also): Executions Franciscan Order Jacob of Voragine, Archbishop of Genoa- Legenda Aurea Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor Wives Geographic Area: Low Countries Century: 15 Date: 1460 Related Work: Justice of the Emperor Otto (Justice Panels), Ordeal by Fire: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bouts_Justice_Ordeal_by_Fire.jpg Current Location: Brussels, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts Original Location: Leuven, Town Hall Artistic Type (Category): Digital images; Paintings Artistic Type (Material/Technique): Oil; Wood; Diptych panel Donor: Town council of Leuven Height/Width/Length(cm): 182 cm/ 71.7"/324 cm/ 127.6"/ Inscription: Related Resources:

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