Manuscript Leaf with Adoration of the Holy Name, from a Book of Hours

Born into a family of renowned and influential Flemish miniaturists; Simon is known to have begun work by 1508, when he entered the guild of Sts. John & Luke in Bruges; worked for Charles V and the Infant de Portugal; noted for bringing to miniatures the visual effects developed in large scale painting. In addition to producing books for powerful aristocrats such as Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg, Bening worked for a group of international royal patrons including Emperor Charles V and Don Fernando, the Infante of Portugal. He specialized in books of hours and is also known to have received commissions for painted genealogical tables and portable altarpieces on parchment. Bening's art continued the Flemish tradition of skillfully representing the muted natural light of haunting nocturnal scenes. His work also contributed to a newer Flemish practice of painting poetic landscape vistas.