Levina Teerlinc
Levina Teerlinc (also Liévine, born Bening ) (* 1510/1520 in Bruges or Ghent, † June 23, 1576 in London) was a Dutch painter and the daughter of the famous miniaturist Simon Bening. 1545 she emigrated to England and was there from 1546 until her death in 1576 at the court painter English court, first under Henry VIII, and after his death under all three of his children, Edward VI. , Mary I and Elizabeth I.. Both the the latter, it served as maid of honor.
Although Teerlinc a reputation almost equal gained her father as a miniature painter and enjoyed an exceptional social recognition for an artist of her time, today hardly her works are preserved and the few assignments are controversial.
Life
Origin
Levina Teerlinc was born as the eldest of five daughters from the first marriage of the painter Simon Bening. Already Teerlincs grandfather Alexander Bening had been a famous miniaturist, and her father is now considered the most important painter of the Ghent - Bruges book School of the 16th century. Levina followed the Familientradion and learned probably in the Bruges workshop her father's miniature painting. Her sister Alexandra also gained a foothold in the artistic crafts - she was an art dealer.
Work in England
End of the 1530s she was already quite well known for their skill and in 1545 they invited King Henry VIII, who had heard of their talent and whose court painter Hans Holbein the Younger had died recently, one to England. Levina and her husband, George Teerlinc of Blankenberge, then moved to England, where her in November as a royal ' painter ' ( paintrix ) was an exceptionally good salary of 40 pounds per year granted for life, much more than the now much more famous and better known Hans Holbein had received. It should stay the hitherto highest salary of an English court painter to the end of the 16th century. Her husband George was given by the king the office of a Gentleman Pensioner of the Royal Household, the former name of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms.
During Henry's reign, however, are not works of Teerlinc known, the first indication of a portrait of her only dates from the reign of his son Edward VI. - In October 1551 she was commissioned his sister, Princess Elizabeth, the future Elizabeth I to portray, for the large sum of 10 pounds. Today, however, is controversial to which the resulting portraits of Elizabeth it represents.
In the reign of Mary I. Teerlinc made of miniatures of the Queen at prayer and other portraits of aristocratic women such as Catherine Grey, a royal cousin. 1553 she presented to the Queen as a New Year gift ' a small image of the Trinity '. Other representations showed the queen at the blessing of the then widespread cramp rings and when you touch a Skrofulosepatienten, the hopes that the royal laying on of hands healing.
All four Tudor monarchs seem to have Teerlincs work highly appreciated. After Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558, she confirmed her father to Teerlinc the patent. According to one story saw Elisabeth one day a courtier, who was wearing a painted miniature of Teerlinc. The image of the Queen liked so much that she ordered the courtier to give it to her. As court painter Teerlinc presented each year a miniature as a New Year gift and nine of them are from the resulting lists of the royal New Year Gifts 1559-1576 occupied. These were either portraits of the new queen alone or in a group, eg with their Knights of the Garter, at the annual tour of the UK or in the traditional washing of the feet of poor women on Maundy Thursday. The first Great Seal of Elizabeth to have been also made to a design Teerlincs, the Seal of Mary I, but for which there is no evidence.
Social Status
Teerlincs social status was exceptionally good for their profession. In the gift list for the New Year 1563 is referred to as a noblewoman ( gentlewoman ) and her son in 1595 as " sworn in as the one in the private apartments of the queen, her majesty ," that is, as maid of honor. From the list shows that Elisabeth Teerlinc golden spoon gave a token of their high esteem. Her husband George was also under Elizabeth as Gentleman Pensioner to the ceremonial bodyguards of the Queen and received in 1566 the lease for a property in Stepney, where he built the family a house for 500 pounds. In the same year Levina, naturalized George and her son Marcus. She remained until her death on June 23, 1576 court painter and lived quite evident in comfortable circumstances. Your funeral took place in the parish church of St. Dunstan on 25 June.
Style and work
From Levina Teerlinc no signed or otherwise documented works have survived, an oeuvre can be collected only from the few surviving miniatures 1545-1575. Five miniatures were assigned Teerlinc, including Elizabethan Maundy, the presentation of the traditional washing of the feet by the Queen on Maundy Thursday (English Maundy Thursday ) and an early portrait of Elizabeth. However, none of the works can be assigned with certainty Teerlinc, maybe they do not even come from the same artist. The 18- year-old girl about reminiscent of the style Lucas Horenbout and may have come from the miniaturist Susanna Horenbout.
Based on the oeuvre adopted Levina Teerlincs style is in the tradition of the painter of the Ghent - Bruges book circle. However, attributed to her miniatures show the influence of Lucas Horenbout and in their composition Hans Eworths. The art historian Roy Strong describes their most striking characteristics as "a head on a too-small, thin body. The technique is awkward, thin, and often volatile, which is perhaps surprising, considering that they enjoyed watching. "
That Teerlinc "You can make an excellent white from mercury, which draws a very fine line, this White use the painters. " However Hilliard: Possibly said Nicholas Hilliard Levina Teerlinc and Susanna Horenbout when he wrote in his book The Art of limning 1600 was a teacher, is entirely unproven, especially Hilliard Hans Holbein himself praises as his role model.
Some researchers consider the portrait of a lady for a self-portrait Teerlincs, as these bears as jewelry dice and Teerlinc is the Flemish word for dice.