1493 - 1561
Medium
brush
Dimensions
h 170mm × w 122mm
Collection
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Materials
parchment (animal material); gouache (paint)
Object Type
miniature; drawing
Subject Matter
John the Baptist; possible attributes: book, reed cross, baptismal cup, honeycomb, lamb, staff; pearl; pearl necklace
Acquisition Method
purchase
Acquired
1950
Notes
De heilige Johannes de Doper met een lam.
Collection Type
drawings
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.
Explore other works by this artist
ca. 1530–35
after 1530 (?)
probably 1522–23
1558
ca. 1520
All artworks by Simon Bening displayed
