Boucquet painted biblical and historical subjects as well as portraits. Boucquet's works are found in various churches of the towns near Veurne, including in
Nieuwpoort,
Alveringem,
Lo-Reninge,
Ypres and
Ostend. Many of his religious paintings and portraits that were kept in public buildings were destroyed during the heavy battles waged in this part of Flanders during World War I. In the Church of Saint Walpurga of Veurne hangs his painting entitled
They cleaned their souls in the blood of Christ. This canvas, painted around 1663, was intended for the altar of the Broederschap der Overledene Zielen in het Vageveur (Brotherhood of the Dead Souls in Purgatory), which had just been founded by pastor Jacob de Wieu. It shows purgatory with people amongst the flames begging for God's mercy for their souls. Christ is shown standing on a fountain-like elevation with blood pouring out of his wounds. In the foreground, two angels are lifting two female figures out of the pool of fire showing how Christ's sacrificed blood saves the souls. The Latin words "de albaverunt eas in sanguine agni" (They cleaned their souls in the blood of the lamb) are written on the side of the elevation on which Christ is standing. For this church Boucquet also painted a
Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian. The Saint Nicolas Church in Veurne also holds a
Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian. The work was commissioned by the Sint-Sebastiaans hand bow guild of Veurne for the Saint Sebastian altar in this Church. One of Boucquet's most important history paintings is
The Judgment of Cambyses. It was commissioned by the city magistrate of Nieuwpoort as a gift to the city in 1671. Due to its large dimensions it must have made an overwhelming impression in the magistrates' court where it was hung originally. The painting is inspired by the story of the judgment of Cambyses as recounted by the Greek historian Herodotus in book V of the
Histories written in 430 BC. The
Histories describes the history of the Persian empire and the Persian kings. The Cambyses in the painting is king
Cambyses II, who ruled from 530 to 523 BC. According to Herodotus, when Cambyses learned that the royal judge
Sisamnes had accepted a bribe, he had him promptly arrested and sentenced him to be flayed alive. Cambyses then appointed Otanes, son of the condemned Sisamnes, as his father's replacement. In order to remind the son of what happens to corrupt judges, Cambyses ordered that the new judge's chair be draped in the skin of the flayed Sisamnes so that he should not forget the importance of judicial integrity. The story of the corrupt Sisamnes inspired various Northern painters, including
Gerard David,
Antoon Claeissens,
Claes Jacobsz van der Heck,
Martin Hermann Faber,
Joachim Wtewael and
Rubens. David painted a diptych, in which he tells the four parts of the story. In the background of the first panel Sisamnes accepts a bribe while the main scene in the foreground shows the judge's sentencing. The foreground of the second panel shows the flaying of the judge while the background depicts the young judge sitting on his judge's chair which is covered in the skin of his father Sisamnes. In his composition, Boucquet focuses on the scene where Cambyses shows the young judge to his chair with his sceptre. The chair is draped in his father's skin with the face of the father clearly recognisable. In the background we can see the flaying of the corrupt judge. At the far left of the composition is a statue of the blindfolded Justice with scales and sword. ==References==