The Coronation of Pepin (detail), cutting from the History of Charles Martel (text in French), Bruges, 1467–72, Loyset Liédet. The J. Paul Getty Museum
Power, Justice, and Tyranny in the Middle Ages
GETTY CENTER
North Pavilion, Plaza Level
This is a past event
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, and 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.