Pietà
Simon Bening·1522
Historical Context
Simon Bening painted this Pietà around 1522, one of his rare panel paintings by the greatest Netherlandish manuscript illuminator of the sixteenth century. Based in Bruges, Bening was celebrated for miniatures of extraordinary refinement that pushed the art of illumination to its technical limits. The tempera-on-panel medium required a carefully gessoed surface and was painted in fine, precise layers, yielding a luminous, jewel-like surface of great durability.
Technical Analysis
The panel shows Bening's extraordinary miniaturist precision applied to panel painting, with jewel-like detail, luminous color, and the meticulous finish developed through his practice of manuscript illumination.
See It In Person
More by Simon Bening
John the Baptist preaching and the Baptism of Christ
Simon Bening·1510
Adoration of the Magi
Simon Bening·1520
Triptych of Virgin and Child; Saints Catherine and Barbara
Simon Bening·1520
St. Gertrude de Nivelles, from the Hours of Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg (1490-1545), Archibishop and Elector of Mainz
Simon Bening·1523
