Simon Bening

Simon Bening, Simon Bennik (* around 1483 in Bruges or Antwerp, † 1561 in Bruges ) was a Flemish miniaturist and illustrator. He is considered one of the major artists in his field. He was the father of Levina Teerlinc.

Life

Bening was born as the son of miniatures painter Alexander Bening (1444-1519) in Bruges. He learned there in his father's workshop also the craft of a miniature painter. From 1500 he began to work independently and was inducted into the Buchmalgilde to Bruges in 1508. He still could not be before 1519 Bruges down, but lived and worked at his father, who died in 1519. Even at this time, as Simon was trained by his father, he learned the work of other painters such as Gerard Horenbout book, with whom he would later imagine great manuscripts. No later than 1525 is Simon Bening the undisputed "star" of Buchmalszene in Europe.

Work

1530 called the Portuguese diplomat and humanist Damiao de Gois Bening "the best master of book illustration in the whole of Europe ". His masterpieces include the so-called "Flower Book of Hours " (Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 23637 ), the prayer book of Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg (Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum ) and the "Da Costa Book of Hours " (New York, Pierpoint Morgan library), the genealogical tables of the royal houses of Spain and Portugal (London, British Library, Add. 12531 ), the Hennessey Book of Hours (Brussels, Royal Library, MS II. 158) or the statutes of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Madrid, Instituto de Don Juan de Valencia). From his two surviving self-portraits is the one in the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the other in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.