Source Annotations:

Provenance of the source

The creator of the source is Philip Dacre. It was made in 1487 and was a painting/artwork.

Historical Context:

During the 14th to 15th Century, word of the Black Death had now been publicized (Although it had
already begun in 1347). This was evident due to it’s quick spread and the many deaths. Because of
this strange new disease, and not much medieval knowledge surrounding it, medieval people started
coming up with the miasma theory, suggesting that it was caused by “bad air”. This theory dates
back to being supported in the 4th Century BC but was only abandoned after 1880 when the germ
theory replaced it. Medieval people had other theories too, one that connected the astrology and
the alignment of planets towards the cause of the plague. Another significant theory was that Jewish
people were responsible for the plague, by poisoning the wells. This was likely a highly believed
theory, as there is evidence of Jewish accusations, and executions by being burnt to the stake.

Message:

The message of the source was to represent the cause of the Black Death being God’s punishment
and that it spread by “bad air”, or the miasma theory. In the image, there is a representation of God
sending down the plague onto medieval people, with an angry glare. As well as this, there are black
fumes coming from skeletal humans (depicting those who are infected) that rise into the air. That
represents their idea of the miasma theory. During the Black Plague, the miasma theory was well
believed between doctors and the general medical knowledge of that time.

Purpose:

The purpose of the source was to help publicize certain beliefs of the Black Death with visual
explanation. This source was created to be shown to the general public, to shape and influence their
view on the Black Death. This view being that religion was responsible overall for the plague, as
shown by the portrayal of God in the image.

Perspective:

The creator of the source is Philip Dacre, who originated in Northern England. They are a noble who
enjoys spending time painting, and occasionally does comissionary artworks. From his perspective as
a noble, he isn’t in danger or risk of dying, as he can afford for medical treatments, and lives in
cleaner environments. However, he is moved and inspired by the pandemic, and wanted to create a
piece that depicts his very religious belief of the plague, including references as well to another
theory about “bad air” he’s heard about. In the source, the overall direction of movement circles
around the god-representing figure, as if to make it the most noticeable aspect.

Usefulness:

This source is useful in the ways it shows the beliefs of what medieval people thought caused the
plague, such as the plague being “God’s punishment”, and it is spreading by “bad air” in the 14 th to
15th century. However, there are many limitations to this source, as it does not cover all the known
beliefs from the Medieval times. For example this source leaves out the belief of Jewish people being
accused and believed of poisoning wells, a significant belief as many were burnt to the stake because
of it. Another limitation is how the artist may not have much first-hand experience in the Black
Death, as he is a noble and is freer from the plague then if you would compare to the peasants or
plague doctors. Overall, this source may not be the most useful to historians when wanting to
understand the perspectives of medieval people but has strengths in showing what types of beliefs
were influenced to the public, and what they were told to believe by art made by those who didn’t
know as much on the subject as they were given credit for.