The Holy Virgins Greeted by Christ as They Enter the Gates of Paradise

Simon probably trained in the workshop of his father, Jean, in Amiens before establishing his own workshop in Valenciennes. He was summoned to Lille in 1454 by Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, to help in preparing scenery and other decorations for an extravagant banquet. Thereafter he worked for some of the most illustrious patrons in Burgundy, including Duke Philip, his son Charles the Bold, Margaret of York, and various other family members and courtiers. In addition to manuscript illuminations, his commissions included paintings, altarpieces, portraits, and decorations for court festivities. Near the end of his career, Simon appears to have had connections with manuscript painting in the southern Netherlands. Not long after his death, Simon Marmion was praised by the poet Jean Lemaire de Belges as the "prince of illumination," probably referring to the artist's proficiency in depicting nature and his skill as a storyteller. Comment on works: religious