25th October 1400, death of English poet, author, philosopher, astronomer and 'Father of English literature' Geoffrey Chaucer best known for The Canterbury Tales. In 1373, Chaucer visited Genoa and Florence, and possibly met the Italian poets Petrarch, and Boccaccio, whose humanistic style, may have inspired the writing of the Canterbury Tales. Boccaccio’s work the ‘Decameron’, completed in 1353, tells of 100 tales told by seven women, and three men, as they shelter in a villa outside Florence to escape the pestilence of the Black Death in 1348, which had killed three-quarters of Florence's population. Petrarch’s work also was associated with the black Death, due to the outbreak killing his poetic muse Laura in 1348, sending him into a further despairing state. Canterbury Tales was first published in 1478 by William Caxton, the first known English printer and publisher, introducing a printing press into England in 1476. Chaucer died on this day of unknown causes, the only reference to the date of his death however comes from engraving on his tomb placed there 100 years after his death. It has been speculated that he was murdered by the enemies of Richard II, who he had had a close association with due to his friendship, and later being brother in law to Richard’s uncle John of Gaunt. It was John of Gaunt’s son Henry Bolingbroke who had deposed Richard in 1399, and was crowned as Henry IV, providing further speculation that Chaucer was killed upon Henry IV’s orders. Whatever the reason for his death, Chaucer was buried in Westminster Abbey, his remains being transferred to a new area of the Abbey now known as ‘Poet’s Corner’. All art shown is inspired by the history of the Black Death, and is for sale on the website: www.ofgraveconcern.com #canterburytales #macabremonday #macabremondays #halloween2021 #blackdeath #plaguedoctor #geoffreychaucer #14thcentury #petrarch #boccaccio #decameron #thedecameron #plague #blackdeathdoctor #pestilence #richardii #johnofgaunt #henryiv #westminsterabbey #poetscorner #plaguedoctorart #plaguedoctors #macabrehistory #halloweenhistory #darkhistory #plaguehistory #laura #englishliterature #florenceitaly #thecanterburytales https://www.instagram.com/p/CVdSwgfFiKr/?utm_medium=tumblr
